The history of slavery is a painful topic, and until recently, it remained a relatively uncovered part of our past. After 200 years, the Netherlands abolished slavery on July 1st, 1863. In 2023, this marks the 150th anniversary of this crucial event. We believe that this should be a national ‘holiday’ with a day off, and as such, we actively participate in numerous Keti Koti initiatives.
One of HAGENS clients is Omroep ZWART. They produced two programs about the commemoration and celebration of Keti Koti. Besides that we also supported several non-profit projects by BUCK AMS, in collaboration with the Black Archives and University of Amsterdam.
Omroep Zwart
Prior to Keti Koti, on Tuesday the 27th of June, Akwasi delivered his annual Anton de Kom-Lezing at the Verzetsmuseum in Amsterdam. In his speech he addressed the resistance movement, the current state of the Netherlands and why radical change is necessary. Akwasi also discussed these topics in talkshow show OP1. Furthermore, Omroep ZWART collaborated with the broadcast-organization EO to make two tv programs that aired on NPO1 this week: “Herdenk Keti Koti” and “Vier Keti Koti”.
Keti Koti Angisa
Creative agency BUCK AMS designed a special Keti Koti ‘angisa’ this year – a traditional Surinamese scarf, in honour of Keti Koti. The proceeds of the scarf directly benefit the Black Archives. We assissted BUCK AMS in creating visibility for the scarf, provided advice on PR and communications and reached out to various media.
HAGENS places special value on the goal of these two projects. Therefore, we will continue to support the visibility of the commemoration and the celebration of Keti Koti in the Netherlands.
