Wouter Van Bellingen, 45, is a Flemish human rights’ activist who has fought for racial justice in Belgium. One of the issues that he has challenged is the racist legacy of Black Pete (or Zwarte Piet). Apart from issues like cultural appropriation and disrespect for minorities like blacks, the United Nations declared in 2015 that Black Pete was a “vestige of slavery.”
Tag: Belgium
Trump’s USAmerica and populist parties in Europe have given us a choice: democracy or demagoguery
Over the weekend I had the opportunity to chat with Wouter Van Bellingen, the first black deputy mayor of Belgium and prominent civil rights activist against causes like Black Pete. Some of the topics we touched upon were the future of Europe in light of the rise of the far right populist parties and the start of President Donald Trump’s mandate in the White House.
Immigrants that look down on other immigrants
The eagle never lost so much time, as when he submitted to learn of the crow. William Blake Some immigrants who have lived in Finland for many decades have adapted so well to this country that even their prejudices and stereotypes are just like those of the locals. Some, like Alain Chiaroni or Freddy Van Wonterghem, however, go beyond the call…
AFP: ‘Tintin in the Congo’ racism trial opens
A Congolese man pleaded with a Belgian court on Friday to remove “Tintin in the Congo” from bookshelves, arguing that the comic book is littered with racist stereotypes about Africans. “It is a racist comic book that celebrates colonialism and the supremacy of the white race over the black race,” Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo said as he arrived for the opening of the civil trial in Brussels.