Keti Koti; 3 places to learn about the history of slavery

With Keti Koti, we celebrate the abolition of slavery. In the Surinamese language Sranantongo, Keti Koti means 'Chains Broken'. Enslaved people were officially free human beings from 1 July 1863, although in practice this proved to take another ten years. This made the Netherlands one of the last European countries to permanently abolish slavery and the slave trade.

Whereas this day is an official holiday in Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles, this is not (yet) the case in the Netherlands. Yet here, too, a growing group of people dwell on this day. The most famous Keti Koti commemoration takes place annually in Amsterdam's Oosterpark. A day full of festivities, music, parades, good food and commemoration. Due to corona measures, Keti Koti 2021 is online.

Thanks to a petition by radio station FunX, Stichting Nederland Wordt Beter and The Black Archives, the Lower House is going to consider the citizens' initiative to make Keti Koti a national day of celebration and remembrance. A positive impact that Honeyguide also supports. When we reflect on the past, acknowledge and take responsibility for what was done in the name of the Netherlands, it creates space in society to reflect, grow and heal. Because even today, the impact of inequality and discrimination is still present. An interesting topic you can learn a lot about in Amsterdam - our magnificent capital built from money earned on the backs of enslaved people. You can do so at the following places, among others:

With the Black Heritage Tours, you literally and figuratively get to know Amsterdam from a different perspective. Sail through the canals and experience the city from an Africacentric point of view. Guide Jennifer tells you the stories behind buildings and monuments that played an important role in times of slavery. A piece of 'forgotten' history that can be found on almost every street corner in Amsterdam. In short, an impressive tour that will make you see the city with completely different eyes.

The legacy of the late sociologist Waldo Heilbron, whose mission was to add new perspectives to historiography and social science by, became the starting point for The Black Archives. A place that has grown from an attic full of black history to a historical archive and cultural centre where people can go for inspiring conversations, substantive activities and books from black and other perspectives that too often remain underexposed.

Located on the Oosterpark you will find one of the most beautiful museums in the Netherlands. The most beautiful if you ask me: the Tropenmuseum. A museum where you are introduced to the world's cultural diversity. A subject like the history of slavery and Keti Koti cannot be left out of this museum. So they have an online Keti Koti programme for you. And also in the museum itself, several exhibitions focus on broader historiography and the human experience of what we know as history. From June 2022 comes the exhibition 'Our Colonial Heritage', A new comprehensive exhibition on the colonial and slavery past.