The Kerwin Duinmeyer conmemoration

On August 20th 1983 the young Kerwin Duinmeyer was killed in Amsterdam. The killer was a fascist who killed him because of the colour of his skin. Duinmeyer became the symbol for anti-fascism in the Netherlands. Each year, his death is remembered with a manifestation, cultural performances and a quiet moment at a the sculpture Mama Baranka (Mother Earth) in the Vondelpark.




This year the demonstration took part for the 23rd time and people are always guessing about the public attendance. Is the amount of people a sign that people don’t care any more, or is it to much time ago, 23 years.
I visited the event together with friends. Our friend Christa Toppenberg, a very talented and renowned poet from Curacao performed with her own poems and with work of other authors.

The fact that Dijnmeyer was form the Antillean, always inspire the question why there aren’t more people from the islands taking part in the event. I think there are a lot of reasons as to why the participation of Antilleans is low in the Kerwin Duinmeyer- commemoration. At the other hand, a big part of the performers were Antillean, some, like some members of the drumming band Kalentura were very young Antilleans.

Each year when I visit the commemoration I feel a need to get involved. Fact is I have not!
I must find a way to get involved because of a lot of reasons.
I think it’s important to pay attention to the killing of a young, innocent man by a racist lunatic.
I think it’s important to make a big stand against racism in the Netherlands, a country which arrogantly have the idea they’re not racist. The French are, The Germans are, Italians, Spanish, American. The whole world could be racist, but they… not.
I still believe in the power of activism. I believe that another world is possible, if we can convince the people of it!

Listen to a radio-report (Dutch spoken) by the Radio Nederland Wereldomroep.