American influences on the Dutch racism debate | Lecture and discussion by Americanist Jorrit van den Berk and sociologist Zawdie Sandvliet

Announcement

'Black Lives Matter' shouted the protesters at Amsterdam Dam Square, Malieveld and Goffertpark. In 2020, they were protesting against all kinds of racism in the Netherlands. The immediate cause, however, was the murder of a black American, George Floyd, committed on the other side of the ocean. Do American terms and ideas about racism translate one-to-one to the Dutch context? Listen to Americanist Jorrit van den Berk and sociologist Zawdie Sandvliet on what we can and cannot learn from American thinking on racism

Black Lives Matter on Amsterdam Dam Square

Among other things, Dutch anti-racism activists use terminology from the US. They speak of 'institutional racism', blackface and 'white privilege'; words borrowed from American thinking on discrimination. Why is the US so visible in discussions about the nature and expression of racism in the Netherlands? The world is becoming more international, so protest movements and social debates are also globalising. But is the associated terminology translatable to a different context?

Import or inspiration

The Netherlands, critics believe, is incomparable to America. After all, plantation slavery did not take place in the polders. And that, the critics argue, makes a world of difference. Importing American terminology is, to them, importing American identity politics. Activists, on the other hand, point out that the Netherlands actively contributed and earned from the transatlantic slave trade and that racism is just as much a part of today's, Dutch society. American terms may serve as inspiration for them, but the discussion of racism is decidedly Dutch.

Afro-Dutch studies

Americanist Jorrit van den Berk, together with colleague Laura Visser-Maessen, examines the role of America in Dutch ways of talking about racism since 1900. Their conclusion: the Americanisation of those discussions is not as great as critical opinion-makers believe. Worse, the accusation of an import discussion gets in the way of a real conversation about racism.

Sociologist Zawdie Sandvliet finds inspiration in American theories. After studying African American Studies at Boston University, he set up, at the Hogeschool van Rotterdam, the course Afro-Dutch Studies. According to him, what can we learn from American thinkers about racism? And what translation should we make?

About the speakers

Jorrit van den Berk is an Americanist at Radboud University. Together with colleague Laura Visser-Maessen, he investigates the impact of American discussions on (anti-)racism in Dutch newspapers and magazines since 1900.

Zawdie Sandvliet is a sociologist and affiliated with VU University Amsterdam. At the Hogeschool van Rotterdam, he teaches his self-designed course Afro-Dutch Studies. Sandvliet studied African American Studies at Boston University on a prestigious Fullbright scholarship.

Justine Bakker is a religion ascientist at Radboud University. She will lead the conversation.