In White Innocence Gloria Wekker explores a central paradox of Dutch culture the passionate denial of racial discrimination & colonial violence coexisting alongside aggressive racism & xenophobia Accessing a cultural archive built over 400 years of Dutch colonial rule Wekker fundamentally challenges Dutch racial exceptionalism by undermining the dominant narrative of the Netherlands as a gentle & ethical nation Wekker analyzes the Dutch media's portrayal of black women & men the failure to grasp race in the Dutch academy contemporary conservative politics (including gay politicians espousing anti-immigrant rhetoric) & the controversy surrounding the folkloric character Black Pete showing how the denial of racism & the expression of innocence safeguards white privilege Wekker uncovers the postcolonial legacy of race & its role in shaping the white Dutch self presenting the contested persistent legacy of racism in the country