The uncomfortable chair of the colonial past and racist present an effective approach to white discomfort in the Netherlands

Activists, artists, academics, and other experts have pointed out the problem of (manifestations of) white discomfort in the Netherlands: white Dutch people experience strong unease when topics like racism or the colonial past are addressed, resulting in defensiveness and avoidance of important conversations – hence, obstructing the anti-racism struggle. In order to tackle this problem, it is important to understand where white discomfort is rooted and how it manifests. Gloria Wekker's work shows the importance of ‘white innocence' in understanding Dutch whiteness – the false conception of (pr... Mehr ...