June 30 marks the commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the Netherlands and Suriname. We call this Keti Koti. This liberation is celebrated on July 1 during the Keti Koti Festival. Curious about what that means and how you can commemorate and celebrate? Read it below.
On July 1, 1863, the Emancipation Act came into effect and slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles. Keti Koti literally means 'Chains Broken'. In Rotterdam, the monument commemorating slavery is located on the Lloydkade, on the spot where ships of the Rotterdam slave trading company Coopstad and Rochussen left for Africa.
The commemoration starts on June 29. On this day you are welcome in the Laurenskerk in Rotterdam for a church service, during which they will reflect on the many lives that slavery and the colonial past cost.
In addition, the Koto Misi Fashion Show will take place in De Doelen on this day, with traditional costumes from Suriname, the Afro-Caribbean area and West Africa.
The slavery past is commemorated on June 30 with a wreath laying at the Slavery Monument, libations, speakers and performance arts. Kabra Neti Foundation also organizes Kabra Neti; a ritual gathering where the ancestors are honored for the sacrifices made.
Schouwburgplein will be home to the Keti Koti Festival. Every year, live performances are planned in various music styles such as jazz, hip hop, soul, reggae and much more. With this programming, the organization wants to honour and present artists from the Afro-Caribbean diaspora.