What is the version of race that we, the Dutch, practice?
I understand race as a silent but powerful organizer of our culture, of our own self-representation and the representation of the Other, our language and institutions and of society as a whole. I will present some everyday case studies of racism, as it is evident on TV and in everyday encounters.
In my book White Innocence (2016), I investigate the ways in which we keep the myth alive that four hundred years of imperialism have not left any traces in the Netherlands. To that end, I will explore the cherished self-narratives that we, the Dutch, like to tell ourselves about who we are and point to the stark discrepancies that exist with those narratives. It is White Innocence that enables us to hold on to those beloved narratives.
More information and ticket are to be found at the ISS website.
