Today is Keti Koti - the annual commemoration of the history of slavery in the former Dutch colonies. A day of reflection as well as celebration. On the 30th of June, the evening prior to the Keti Koti celebration, a formal memorial gathering took place at the Rotterdam slavery monument. Rector Magnificus prof. dr. Jantine Schuit and Chief Diversity Officer prof. dr. Jane Murray Cramm laid a wreath on behalf of Erasmus University Rotterdam.
During the memorial ceremony, there were speeches by Mayor Carola Schouten and by Carlos Gonçalves, chair of Stichting Gedeeld Verleden Gezamenlijke Toekomst.
Rotterdam has a deep connection with the history of slavery; one in eight of the people living in Rotterdam (2021) have ancestors that were once enslaved in the Atlantic area - more than any other city in the Netherlands. This history leaves a shared legacy; both for the descendants of the enslaved and for the descendants of those who profited from the slave trade. (Cf. Alex van Stipriaan, Rotterdam in Slavernij). As a university in the city of Rotterdam we think it is very important to pay special attention to this day and to commemorate this history and legacy.
In 2025, Keti Koti is commemorated and celebrated in Rotterdam in several ways.
Programme Keti Koti Rotterdam on July 1st, 2025
Celebration – Tuesday, July 1st: Keti Koti Festival
- 12:00 – 22:00 uur – Festival Wijkpark Het Oude Westen
- 13:00 – 13:45 uur – Bigi Spikri parade from Oostervant to Wijkpark
- 16:00 – 01:00 uur – De Doelen: cultural fashion show, kids programme, live radio and music
- 15:00 – 23:00 uur – Festival Schouwburgplein
Together we strive for an inclusive and equitable future.
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