A debate about whether or not a sidekick to the Netherlands' version of Santa Claus named Black Pete portrays black people in a negative light was laid to rest by a Dutch court on Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Depictions of Black Pete, or Zwarte Piet, have traditionally appeared in holiday celebrations in the Netherlands as unintelligent and docile helpers to St. Nicholas. The character usually appears as a white person dressed in blackface with red lips and a black-haired wig.
But a court in Amsterdam ruled that Black Pete is "a negative stereotype of black people," the AP reported. The court also ordered the city of Amsterdam to reevaluate a permit that allows portrayals of Black Pete to march in the highly attended holiday parade in November.
Barryl Biekman, head of the Platform Slavery History organization, said the decision is a step in the right direction to addressing racism in the Netherlands.
"I am really happy, and I congratulate the Dutch people that we together can work on a Netherlands that is free of racism," Biekman told NOS television, Businessweek reported. "If this continues, it would mean that the Dutch state and all of its municipalities are jointly responsible for maintaining racism in this country."
Dutch people, who are mostly white, have long argued that Black Pete is purely a fictional character not intended to mock black people, the AP reported. But the court cited evidence that suggested otherwise, including a report from the Netherlands' based human rights commission that exposed discrimination in the workplace.
The annual winter festival includes a celebration of the arrival of St. Nicholas to the Netherlands. Someone dressed as St. Nicholas, or "Sinterklaas," arrives on a steamboat from Spain followed by several smaller vessels filled with Black Petes who then march and hand out cookies, the AP reported.
There have been several suggestions on how to change Black Pete's appearance, such as painting the face a different color instead of using black, according to the AP.
Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan has a little over a month to consider the ruling and decide what to do about the permit.
A spokesman for the mayor told Businessweek he will go over the court's findings before deciding whether or not to appeal.
