The municipality of Hoorn said it will not issue an apology for its historic connection to slavery, and also will not officially recognize that past. The Noord-Holland municipality was one of the most important cities tied to the Dutch East India Company (VOC). At the moment, there is not a City Council majority that would lead to approval of an apology or recognition, the municipality said. Hoorn is willing to have "citywide conversations" about racism and discrimination.
Keti Koti, the day of remembrance and celebration of the abolition of slavery, was officially added to the inventory of intangible cultural heritage in the Netherlands on Saturday. This was done on the recommendation of NiNsee, the National Institute for the History and Heritage of Slavery in the Netherlands. Since 2020, Keti Koti has been included in the Canon of the Netherlands, which represents the 50 most important historical events for the Netherlands.
Keti Koti or Broken Chains: 160 years ago slavery was abolished in Suriname. With freedom in sight, many were one last time ruthlessly reduced to mere…