Zwarte Pit became a debate because it contains elements of racism and colonialism

Jop Euwijk and Frank Rensen in an article in Historiek provide some of the earliest examples of how Black Pit characters began to be seen as reflecting racism.

The first example is the incident in 1927. A black man on trial in Rotterdam defended himself that he beat a dockworker for verbal abuse. He also said black people in the Netherlands were constantly called "Black Pit".

Another incident occurred in 1939. At that time a black teacher was reprimanded by a student's parents when they were riding the same tram in the Sittard area. The reason was trivial: his son cried after seeing the Black Pit there.

Black Pit Doesn't Have To Be Described As Black

 How did the Black Pit character and all its controversy begin?

One of the earliest archives of him can be found in the 1850 children's book Sint Nikolaas en zijn knecht 'Saint Nicholas and his assistant' by former schoolteacher Jan Schenkman. This unnamed character is simply called a “helper” who accompanies Sinterklaas activities with the children. His outfit was white with a model resembling a sailor's suit, instead of today's caricature-looking Pit costume.

Rasta supporters straighten accusation

If people say Rastarian smokes weed and grows dreadlocks, it's true, it goes much deeper than that.

According to the Old Testament book (Leviticus 19:27), Rastas believe that one should not cut their hair because that is where their strength lies. Dreads form naturally over time.

Bob Marley Musician Extraordinary "Crazy"

Maybe people in general around the world when they hear or read the words "Rasta" or "Rastafari", then they spontaneously picture Bob Marley's face, imagining his distinctive, authentic, attractive appearance. And ringing in his ears the songs he sings. It is even possible to remember all the accessories and attributes, including the colors. Bob Marley's music is simply insane. Long before there was the internet and android, it was very popular.

Garveyism

The "back to Africa" ​​movement, historically, has been a long-standing topic and is suspected of being used offensively by those with racist views. But it also found some echoes among black leaders. The proponent of the idea was Marcus Garvey. Garvey was a Jamaican-born black nationalist who created the 'Back to Africa' movement in the early 20th century in the United States, although he explained that the idea did not apply to all African Americans. "We don't want all the Negroes in Africa. Some are not good here, and certainly not good there," he said.