Article: Sign the petition against the Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) -racism and the hypocrisy of Bol.com
Thank you to all who have signed! Below, a recent article which highlights this petition and gives further insight into bol.com' on-going promotion and sale of racist items, from Doorbraak(Break Through) a Netherland' independent publication. (the link is Dutch version)
"Sign the petition against the Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) -racism and the hypocrisy of Bol.com as well!
Recently the International Anti Racism Group (INARG) has launched a petition against the sale of racist products through Bol.com. After prolonged pressure by INARG and others, the largest online store in the Benelux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxemburg) let it be known in august 2020, that it would start to remove the racist caricature ‘Zwarte Piet’ from its assortment. But it turns out that Bol.com is still offering products that belong to the traditional ‘Zwarte Piet’- racism. Under the motto “Not Your Costume”, INARG calls on everyone to sign a petition that will move Bol.com and its parent company Ahold-Delhaize to really eliminate all racist items from its assortment.
Bol.com announced last year that its online store would no longer use the term “Black Pete” for products on sale. When you investigate Bol.com website, you will find that “Zwarte Piet” has been replaced with “Piet”. But the concerns are not just about his name, but specifically his appearance. The label “Piet” turns up for products as black stretch-pants, black gloves, black wigs and black turtle-neck sweaters. Piece by piece these are elements with which to set up a full “Black Pete”- outfit. They are clearly materials to suggest the black skin of the racist caricature. For years, “My Skin Color Is Not A Costume” has been used by people of African descent, in the struggle against “Zwarte Piet”.
Black face-paint and earrings Still more shameful is the fact that the online store sells a schmink-set called “Superstar-Piet”, which only has black for a schmink-color. The set includes red lipstick. On top of that, “Piet earrings” are still up for sale. The conclusion is obvious: Bol.com still offers all the ingredients for realising a “Zwarte Piet” figure, while publicly pretending to have gotten rid of “Zwarte Piet”. Hypocritical and trying to play both sides, we call that. When you search the term “Zwarte Piet” on the store’s website, a long list of ingredients for the racist caricature is offered up. “Zwarte Piet”-fans will have no trouble, with the help of Bol.com, to ridicule and stigmatise black people. On top of that, Bol.com sells other racist products, like “Indian Schmink”. The store thusly not only pushes for stereotyping people of African descent, but Indigenous Americans as well.
The battle against Zwarte Piet has already been going on for more than a century. We should not proclaim an easy victory, but realise that again and again we must put pressure on companies like Bol.com, and everything and everyone who, despite all the damage, wants to continue to promote the racist caricature. The petition by INARG is one of many valuable contributions to the continuation of the increasingly more successful struggle against this caricature." - Harry Westerink