Black Pete – Indoctrination And Entertainment Sprinkled With Sugar

As if it is not bad enough that they flaunt their racism in my face, I am forced to take a detour. City council thinks that the Santa Claus and Black Pete (Sinterklaas en Zwarte Piet) travesty is important enough to detour traffic. I found it difficult to control my anger when I saw all those children being led to partake in the celebration of slavery. The children do not care, because they get paid with candy. They were led by their parents to get their fix. Like little dogs reacting to a bell. Good doggie.

It is no use getting mad at those innocent chilluns. I heard parents asking their critters if they were able to get enough candy from Zwarte Piet. I did not wait to hear the answer. The children got paid for
their part in upholding the image of a white man on a horse in control of a fleet of happy black-faced slaves. And no, they cannot pay Black people to do it. That would be racism. With the black-face, it is white people who get paid to act like slaves, which makes it just ridicule. Right?

The homeless man at the health store stopped waving his Sinterklaas flag as I got close. I could not blame him, because I was definitely not smiling. I had just seen a whole fleet of black-faced supposed adults on roller-skates. As I passed in front of them, I kept busy keeping my anger under control, and to just get away from them. I thought it best to deal with the temptation to trip every single one of them, from a safe distance. And that is the clean version. In any case, I had to get out of sight, and let them out of my mind.

Still, by the time I got to the store, I might have still looked a bit very much angry. I managed to remain very civil in the store. It is the one store where I can safely buy some groceries. Not just because they only sell organic (natural) food, but also because they do not partake in the slavery celebration. They do sell speculaas and chocolate letters, but I do not mind that. It says nothing about me as a Black person. They sell cookies and chocolate every day of the year without it being linked to slavery. They do not sell child-labored food.

Once out of the store, I could feel the anger rise again. I ignored the homeless man, this time for a good reason. When I turned away, I found myself surrounded by idiot parents and their children. They were everywhere. Now, when I say ‘idiot’, I do not mean that they did not know better than to sell their children to the System for some candy. I refer to the fact that they wanted me to buy into the BS story – ‘it is so nice for the children’ and ‘it is not about slavery, it is just a children’s party’ – and smile along. Just like… Black Pete.

I refused to smile along like good ol’ Sambo, so I do not know if they would then have commanded me to dance and hop around next. Yes, just like the slaves back in the day. Massa had to be entertained, and guess who got the job. So, smile and act like a fool. ‘Slavery is good for the Black depraved soul. Never mind that what we put you though, would kill us on the spot. We would not be able to act like brutalized animals, because we would be dead. We know, because we tried it with white slaves first. They were pathetic – they did not last even a year. Hey, while you are at it: sing and dance. Make it quick, you got to be in the field by dawn. The cotton does not pick itself.’

It is so obvious, that I refuse to believe that people cannot see it. And I am still talking about those alleged adults. Children will do what they are told to do when there is candy, and later gifts, involved. Indoctrination at its best, or worst. It is the adults who should now better. And I am convinced that they do. They are the ones who refuse to hire Black people for jobs, the ones who are harshly judging Black people for not getting jobs, the ones who are quick to blame Black people for stealing their jobs when they themselves cannot get jobs.

There is no reason for me to smile, because I am not fooled. And, they cannot scare me into smiling. I do not depend on them for a job. Whatever they are willing to grant me, I can rest assured that it will grant them a hell of a lot more money then they will pay me. Which is exactly what I would have to show them, if I were desperate enough to ask them for a job.

No. I do not smile, because I know that what I saw out in the open today, is what they hide the rest of the year. Put them under pressure, and it will leak out. Walk into a job interview, and that is pressure enough. Pretend to be their friend and they will tell you. Or be their enemy and they will show you. Or, watch the ‘celebration’ and see how they make sure that their children will be ready to apply the covert racism when it is their turn.

What do we teach our children? To stand aside them, and smile?