"Racist" depiction of black man in comic causes outrage in Netherlands, Belgium

A Suske en Wiske comic strip that leaked out on Saturday caused social media outrage in Belgium and the Netherlands to such an extent that Belgian publisher Standaard Uitgeverij had to publish an apology. The comic strip showed a depiction of a black man that was so stereotypical that it completely overshadowed the first bare breasts ever to appear on the strip, according to RTL Nieuws.

Dalilla Hermans, a Belgian writer and one of the most outspoken anti-Zwarte Piet activists in the country, immediately launched a social media campaign under the hashtag #Nomoremonkeybusiness. She called the strip an "incredibly racist image of a black man: this is half an ape. We do not have to take this shit anymore", according to the broadcaster.

Standard Uitgeverij, who published this comic strip for decades, apologized. "It was never our intention to insult anyone in the texts and scenarios", Ruth Van Ammel said, according to RTL. "This reaction, however, is based on one drawing, the only drawing of this character, an extra in the story. There is a very diverse range of characters in the comic strip."

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