2 Nov 2025 – 1 Feb 2026
The Netherlands, do better!
The Impact of 15 years of Black Activism
2 Nov 2025 – 1 Feb 2026
Beautiful DistressOn display from 2 November
This exhibition can be visited for free at Beautiful Distress (Ms. van Riemsdijkweg 41a) on Thursday, Friday (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.) and Saturday, Sunday (12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.).
In 2010 a group of Dutch people join forces for a common goal: eliminating anti-Black racism and exclusion in the Netherlands, making this a country where everyone is treated equally.
The group grows into the movement Nederland Wordt Beter (The Netherlands Getting Better), which has three clear objectives: an inclusive Sinterklaas celebration for all Dutch people, a national commemoration of the history of slavery, and incorporating education in schools about the colonial past and slavery’s history.
In this exhibition, created in collaboration with the Nederland Wordt Beter Foundation, we guide you through a series of successes, efforts and experiences that we have gathered over the past fifteen years.
What is there to see?
In the exhibition, the Amsterdam Museum and Nederland Wordt Beter look back on 15 years of Black activism in the Netherlands (2010-2025); the fight for equality and against racism and other forms of exclusion. A timeline, combined with personal stories of those involved, shows the history and present of various anti-racism initiatives.
Banners, T-shirts and other objects used during actions and demonstrations are on display, as well as photographs and newspaper clippings. There will also be video portraits of the founders and other participants, and artworks by contemporary artists such as Brian Elstak, Eugenie Boon and Pris Roos.
Take action
The activists behind Nederland Wordt Beter carried out actions and campaigns, released publications, compiled lesson packets, and organized events in the struggle to achieve their objectives.
After fifteen years of successful struggle, they pass the baton to you, with the message: be better! What will you do to make the Netherlands better?
Stichting Nederland Wordt Beter
Since 2010, the foundation Nederland Wordt Beter has fought to increase awareness in the Netherlands about the country's slavery and colonial past and anti-Black racism. Demonstrations have been a prominent aspect of the movement, but its work extends far beyond protest. The organization Nederland Wordt Beter pursues three objectives and develops various free teaching packages used in primary and secondary schools nationwide.
It also organizes conferences and workshops and engages in ongoing lobbying, such as conversations with municipalities, ministers, and policymakers. Furthermore, they are co-initiators of the widely supported and successful initiative: Black Manifest (March 2021), a list of 12 domains with action points to combat anti-Black racism, and the National Day of Empathy on 3 May; aimed at fostering mutual understanding and creating more space for empathy.
Made possible by
The Amsterdam Museum receives structural support from its main sponsor, the Municipality of Amsterdam, founder VriendenLoterij, and main partner in education, the ELJA Foundation.
The exhibition partner for this exhibition is the Nederland Wordt Beter foundation.
The location partner for this exhibition is Beautiful Distress.