In the Netherlands we have a tradition called Sinterklaas. You could almost say he's the Dutch equivalent of Santa Clause. He gives the kids presents if they were good and will give them salt and a spanking if they're bad. Sinterklaas isn't alone, he has tons of helpers. These helpers are called 'Zwarte Piet' (Black Pete) and are dressed up in a servant's costume, paint their faces black and wear black, curly wigs.
Many people that didn't grow up with this tradition are now claiming it to be racist. It's a white man and he has black people as servants, this is what bothers people and makes them say it's racist. What do you guys think?
The link I posted contains a video having exactly this debate. Is Zwarte Piet racist or not?
Spoiler!
For me, Zwarte Piet is not racist at all. I grew up with him and never once thought that it had any relation to racism or colonialism. I always presumed that Zwarte Piet was black because he climbed in and out through chimneys all day to deliver presents, and accumulated a lot of soot on his face/body. I am almost offended that people would claim it's racism. I get where they're coming from, but Sinterklaas is only perceived to be racist because he has black helpers. Sinterklaas doesn't teach any wrong values and never talks down to his helpers but is always kind. To see Sinterklaas as racist is, to me, just trying to find something racist to bitch about. I'll just say it: I think it's racist to think Sinterklaas is racist. This sounds weird, but what I mean is that in order to find Sinterklaas racist you have to believe that by definition it's racist to have a black helper when you're white. I think it's racist to believe that just because a white person leads black people he is abusing them. White people and our culture are made out to be the bad guys just because people have this racist idea that when a white man has black helpers it has to be racist and bad.
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