www.africana.com/columns/...22xmas.asp


The "Black Pete" tradition has come under fire in the Netherlands in recent years, having been criticized as a racial stereotype (in many instances, Black Pete speaks in simplistic baby-Dutch, a kind of Christmas minstrelsy). And, given the early Dutch participation in the Trans-Atlantic Slave and colonization of the Caribbean, it is entirely possible that the Black Pete tradition either began as an innocuous fable and took on elements of stereotype as Dutch slave-trading evolved, or began long after the original St. Nicholas myth as a "new" character during the slave era.

While the legend of St. Nick made its way across the Atlantic and became a treasured staple of American holiday commerce, his black homie was left behind and for obvious reasons. The concept of a black man swiping gifts and replacing them with coal, threatening bad white children with switches and kidnapping them simply wouldn't play well in 18th century America. Or 19th century America. Or, 2003, either. Besides, in this country, a black man on the roof trying to shimmy down a chimney is called breaking-and-entering. Around these parts, we like our legends to look like our presidents and we leave the interracial friendships in the capable hands of Hollywood


How puss walk a no so him ketch ratta.