Introduction The European Race and Imagery Foundation’s (ERIF) annual Brand & Product report charts the evolution and relevance of the (Zwarte) Piet character, alongside the development of discussions on race, racism and inclusion, specific to the Netherlands. The project began in 2015, when ERIF launched the study in order to advise concerned parents which products … Continue reading The Devil is in the Details: ERIF captures Sinterklaas’ ongoing identity crisis in our new brand and product report

Someone asked me if I was my son’s nanny today. We were at our local Little Gym and were being signed in. I said “I’m here with Julian”, and she replied “Are you his nanny?” It was heartbreaking and humiliating. The only other black person in the room (also a mother to a mixed son) … Continue reading “Are you his nanny?”

It's been a while since I published a proper blog post. There's been a number reasons for this, the main one being becoming a mummy last summer! Settling into motherhood has been a wonderful experience and I'm learning everyday, but it's also meant a complete reorganisation of my life and priorities. Still, going out and … Continue reading Jules & his neighbours

Last week I had the honour of giving a short talk on the history of racist stereotypes and their material consequences for contemporary policymaking at the Media van Kleur public dialogue event, hosted by Pakhuis de Zwijger. Apart from myself, there were moving spoken word performances by Kevin Groen and an incredible panel of "media … Continue reading Wij vs. Zij #5: Media van Kleur – watch now!!!