The Netherlands should do whatever it takes to desegregate its primary schools, American civil rights activist Jesse Jackson has said. During a brief visit last week, Reverend Jackson said this should be Dutch national policy.
Ethnic segregation in Dutch schools
The existence of so-called "black" and "white" schools in the Netherlands is not a result of government policy.
In fact, ethnic segregation is caused by the freedom of school choice that parents have. Native Dutch people who are relatively well-off can afford to send their children to schools which they think are better: usually a school with a mixed population elsewhere in town. Their immigrant neighbours' children still go to the school around the corner. Thus the "white" children gradually disappear from the neighbourhood school.
Another factor leading to segregation is the right to found schools on religious principles. Children in Christian schools are mainly native-Dutch, while Muslim or Hindu schools’ populations are mostly of immigrant origin.
"Make segregation illegal and unacceptable. You must see people coming in as value added, not as threat."
The well-known civil rights activist, Baptist minister and former presidential candidate was in the Netherlands to deliver the annual Martin Luther King talk in The Hague. But he made the most of a five-day, four-country European tour, lecturing, hosting seminars, and meeting with youth groups.
And he made time for a face-to-face interview with Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
Desegregation has long been a central theme in Mr Jackson's life as an activist. He marched with Martin Luther King Jr, at a time when segregation of blacks in the American South was still a reality. So his advice to the Netherlands to actively integrate its minorities, particularly in the schools, carries some weight.
It also comes at an opportune moment. There is currently an intense debate taking place in the Netherlands about the importance of desegregating primary schools, and how best to do it. This is particularly difficult given that the Dutch school system is based on choice, and few want the state to intervene to eliminate that choice.
Mr Jackson says the state should do whatever it takes to desegregate schools. It is not an easy process, as the mixed legacy of forced school desegregation in the US shows. But, he says, it is worth it in the long run.
Time bomb
One result of segregation, according to Reverend Jackson, is that ethnic communities feel stigmatised, and become isolated.
"If you let people live in isolation, and make them feel left out, you are organising your own ticking time bomb."
That is precisely what has concerned many here, since the 2004 murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a young Dutchman of Moroccan background. But Mr Jackson's message when it comes to integration is "Keep hope alive." He is impressed by young people he has met in The Hague and Amsterdam and the efforts they have taken to learn to live together.
And he is equally impressed by the Netherlands on the whole.
"You have all the right stuff. There's no reason why this society cannot be number one in whatever endeavour it pursues."
Reverend Jackson advocates universal acceptance of the International Criminal Court. He says the court is in the right country, and expects that under President Barack Obama, the United States will finally become a full member of the court.
Mr Jackson admires the initiatives the Netherlands is taking to rein in large bonuses in the banking sector. Indeed, his latest campaign has targeted American bank directors, whom he says are misusing government assistance to make themselves rich. Mr Jackson says he treasures the reception he has received in the Netherlands, and hopes to return.
Jackson on Obama
Mr Jackson is now a staunch supporter of Barack Obama. During the election campaign, he was heard saying "I want to cut his nuts off... Barack... he's talking down to black people", into a microphone that he didn't think was live. He regrets the remark, but says that friends can disagree. His current advice for the president is to simplify his message to the electorate. As it is now, Mr Obama is "part president, part professor".
The activist also distances himself from Mr Obama's involvement in Afghanistan. His advice to the Netherlands: "It's a high risk venture. I'm inclined to say - have a minimum involvement in Afghanistan."
Email this Article
Printer-friendly version
Black people also run faster than white people. When was the last time you saw a white man win the 100m dash at the olympic games?
Is this biological or just a coincidence?
"Black people also run faster than white people."......From the law, too? It's probably biological...that is the part about the 100m dash. As from the law, it is probaly coincidence! It's very difficult to run from the law when your pants are sagging! It's also difficult to get away from the law when one's cover (cap) is tilted and blocks your escape route.
I was born in the Netherlands . Have lived in the USA for over 50 years .
Jesse Jackson is a phony . He comes out of the same corrupt surroundings as our present President. The USA is in big trouble . Obamas is already considered a failed presidency. All Jesse Jackson does is blackmail major American companies by threatening boycotts . Jesse has made a comfortable living pretending to help fellow black citizens . In reality he he has hurt his fellow blacks much more than helped them . He is however very good at lining his own pocket.
The Netherlands might have many problems, but your school system is not one of them .
And why is Obama's a "failed presidency"? Because it's been a whole year already and he STILL hasn't cleaned up the mess Bush made?
Obama is a failure already .. He entered the presidency with an overwhelming majority in both houses of government .but was not been able to get his own party to back him . Now his own party is turning on him. A number of key Dems are bailing out and retiring . There is a great feeling of buyers regret. The hope and change he was promoting has turned the independents against him .
He is collapsing faster than Jimmy Carter did.
It is not surprising to see segregated schools in the Netherlands, after all they instituted thesame doctrine ( aparthied) in South Africa. when i see morons counting petty petty crimes committed by some disenfranchised blacks or other ethnic minorities in their country, i tend to wonder if they care about the millions of people around the world kill on a mass scale everyday by western made bombs and bias economic policies. My info to you all is, nothing is static, times are changing and surely like South Africa it shall come to pass that manking of all colours and ethinicty would be treated equally wherever they find themselves.
The use of staistics should be balanced by number crrunching on the other side of the ledger. For instance, how many African-Americans serve as law enforcement officers, who defend the public and also arrest other African-Americans who violate the law? How many African-Americans are jurists, legislators, and serve in the public service? How many African-Americans serve in the branches of the American armed forces and have or are seeing service in overseas wars to protect their fellow Americans? This is not a simple question in a complex world. The statistics presented in this topic are factual no doubt, but they cannot be entirely conclusive as to social organization such as schooling. There are many sides to this story. David Berridge.
People do not seem to talk for the sake of expressing their opinions, but to maintain an opinion for the sake of talking.
"Every man, in his own opinion, forms an exception to the ordinary rules of morality."
Chris29: can you please provide an valid and trustworthy link to your statistics. And please, make sure it includes data on the economic condition of the people who commit these crimes (income, benefits, educational level etc). I still think it is utterly ludicrious to link crime solely to race. Do black kids from affluent neighbourhoods and well-to-do parents also commit these crimes? Yes or no?
I find it strange that you link a large proportion of sex offences committed to blacks becuase if I were to make a mental map of cases of rape and child sexual abuse reported in UK by the BBC every now and then, the perpetrators are predominantly lower class whites. So are most pedophiles.
One could argue that white kids display a stronger tendency to take guns to school and shoot dead their classmates and teachers (as we often see in the US and Northern Europe) but such an argument clouds a lot. You need to provide solid evidence for your statements and link this evidence to people's economic status. Otherwise, your arguments are biased, prejudiced and unscientific.
I am sure that mr. Jackson meant well but I think that he should stay out of Dutch internal affairs.
Whatever happens in this country is none of his business.
Tristan, Mr. Jackson was invited here by the netherlands government. The netherlands is everyones business while we have the human rights court in this country. If we didn´t want Jackson in our business, we shouldn´t invite him here in the first place, nor should we have an international human rights court in our land if we don´t want transparency on our own human rights record. Since WW2, I would like to think we are open and transparent and have nothing to hide by inviting people like Mr. Jackson to this country.
London is roughly 15 per cent black, and while accounting for a disproportionate number of crimes in all areas, black people do commit an absolute majority of street robberies (well over 60 per cent) and an overwhelmingly majority of gun crimes, as well as a large proportion of sex offences (if one only includes the London postal area, those percentages rise sharply).
No the USA is no exception at all. In the UK where minorities have been treated equally for years, you will find the same disproportionately high black crime rate as in the US.
Chris29 comments are undoubtedly only valid in the United States where African Americans have been disenfranchised over ages. To put the face of crime or violence on race is absurd to say the least for no race has been more responsible for violence and pillaging on a global scale in recent history than Caucasians.
Chris29, you are dead wrong and misinformed. The single best indicator of [street] violent crime levels in an area is NOT the percentage of the population that is black and Hispanic BUT the percentage of economically disenfranchised people. These people could be black, white or green. It doesn't make a difference. Open your eyes and see the world for what it is. Economic disenfranchisement leads to [steet] violence and crime.
I would rather send my kids to a "black" school predominantly populated by children of doctors, lawyers, engineers, bankers and other professionals than to a "white" school populated by kids of street cleaners, service call receivers and bicycle repairers. It's just that simple.
And what do the statistics show for crime of all sorts (wars, invasions, pillaging, rape, child abuse, murder, theft etc.) committed by the Christian, Caucasian world???
Come on guys, give the old man a break, he meant well. Jesse Jackson at least complimented the Netherlands in many other ways and told NL to get out of the Afghan war, which I happen to agree with him. I like the fact that Jesse Jackson said that the international human rights court belongs in the Netherlands and that the Netherlands is doing a good job. I like Jesse Jackson much better then Jimmy Carter.
Is this your ideal of what the Netherlands should become Rev Jesse Jackson?
Now let's look at the facts.
According to FBI Race, Crime and Justice in America statistics on crime:
• Blacks are seven times more likely than people of other races to commit murder,
and eight times more likely to commit robbery.
• When blacks commit crimes of violence, they are nearly three times more likely
than non-blacks to use a gun, and more than twice as likely to use a knife.
• Hispanics commit violent crimes at roughly three times the white rate, and
Asians commit violent crimes at about one quarter the white rate.
• The single best indicator of violent crime levels in an area is the percentage of
the population that is black and Hispanic.
Interracial Crime
• Of the nearly 770,000 violent interracial crimes committed every year involving
blacks and whites, blacks commit 85 percent and whites commit 15 percent.
• Blacks commit more violent crime against whites than against blacks. Fortyfive
percent of their victims are white, 43 percent are black, and 10 percent are
Hispanic. When whites commit violent crime, only three percent of their victims are
black.
• Blacks are an estimated 39 times more likely to commit a violent crime against
a white than vice versa, and 136 times more likely to commit robbery.
• Blacks are 2.25 times more likely to commit officially-designated hate crimes
against whites than vice versa.
Gangs
• Only 10 percent of youth gang members are white.
• Hispanics are 19 times more likely than whites to be members of youth gangs.
Blacks are 15 times more likely, and Asians are nine times more likely.
Incarceration
• Between 1980 and 2003 the US incarceration rate more than tripled, from 139
to 482 per 100,000, and the number of prisoners increased from 320,000 to 1.39
million.
• Blacks are seven times more likely to be in prison than whites. Hispanics are
three times more likely.
Dutch People: Don't listen to this guy. You'll be so sorry if you do. He makes his living as a race hustler, sowing seeds of disaffection among the members of his race. His personal moral credibility adds up to zero.
Protect your children so they can be anxiety-free and open to learning. Choose the safest schools for them
whether segregated or not.
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.