On the occasion of 160 years of the abolition of slavery, DENK advocates naming a street or square after Keti Koti

The 160th anniversary of the abolition of slavery will take place on July 1, 2023. The Support Council member, Milton R. King sees this opportunity as an opportunity to renew the sense of community and belonging to the diverse groups of migrant backgrounds who live and work in Vlaardingen, by making a gesture of recognition to these groups. The gesture could be naming a well-known street or a much-visited square near the town hall after the abolition of slavery 160 years ago. In the former colony of Suriname, this event is known as Keti Koti. How grateful would the descendants of the enslaved ancestors, who live and work in Vlaardingen, be if Keti Koti could adorn the nameplate? The intended name is emotionally charged with the descendants who have yearned for recognition of the slavery past by the Dutch government for decades.

King believes that following the apologies offered to the descendants of the enslaved persons by the Dutch government, through Prime Minister Mark Rutte, pronounced on December 19, 2022, Vlaardingen will have to show its best side by converting the Dutch government's apologies into naming a street or square within the municipality after Keti Koti. Records show that families in Vlaardingen also benefited directly or indirectly from the benefits and proceeds of slavery and the slave trade. DENK Vlaardingen will lobby in the coming period on the one hand to find support for this idea and on the other hand encourage descendants who are established in the municipality to be forgiving and to work with united forces on the development of our beloved city of Vlaardingen, says King.