Professor Guno Jones, who holds the 'Anton de Kom Chair in the History of Colonialism and Slavery, and their Contemporary Social, Cultural, and Legal Impact', asserts in his inaugural lecture that the history of colonialism, slavery, and their legacies is not isolated but rather a battleground of diverse perspectives on that history. These perspectives are influenced by time, context, and political orientation.
Anton de Kom is an important source of inspiration for this insight. In the colonial Surinamese-Dutch relationship, the subject became intertwined with anti-colonial and anti-capitalist struggles for freedom and the reactions to them.
The breaking of the silence on the subject at the end of the twentieth century in the Netherlands reveals a battleground over citizenship, national identity, and belonging. In contemporary Surinamese society, the subject is linked to the debate over reparations and land rights.
In the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, political inequality plays a significant role. The fact that issues surrounding the theme are also transnational is evident from the debate over the impact of visa policies on family life between Suriname and the Netherlands following the Dutch government's apologies.