Daniela Owusu, Finland's first Black Lucia, received thousands of racist messages after being chosen to lead the annual festival of light. The prime minister apologized and pledged to build a safe and equal Finland.
A young Black woman who was subjected to racist abuse after being selected to lead celebrations of a Swedish festival of light in Helsinki has received an apology from the Finnish prime minister.
According to the Swedish tradition, each year a young woman or girl is chosen to represent Saint Lucia by dressing in a costume of a white gown, red waistband and crown of candles as part of the official annual festivities in at the Lutheran Cathedral on 13 December to mark the shortest day according to the Julian calendar. About 5% of people in Finland, which until 1809 was part of Sweden, speak Swedish as their native language, which is one of two national languages in the Nordic country. Daniela Owusu, 20, who is Finnish Ghanaian, received thousands of hate messages after on Friday becoming Finland’s first Black Lucia. The organisers have reported the abuse to police and the discrimination ombudsman and are considering taking legal action. During a visit to the Finnish parliament on Tuesday, where the Lucia choir sang in the state hall, the prime minister, Petteri Orpo, met the group and said he was sorry for the comments to which Owusu had been subjected, adding that he wanted to build a safe and equal Finland.The racist abuse came a week after Finland’s independence day celebrations were overshadowed by a far-right march through the capital attended by Teemu Keskisarja, an MP for the far-right Finns party, which is part of the government. Folkhälsan, the organisation behind the festival, said the “stream of racist messages” were “deeply distressing” and that it may take legal action.Daniela Owusu (left) at the Lucia 2024 ceremony.Viveca Hagmark, the association’s director, said: “We would like to warmly thank everyone who showed their support for Finland’s Lucia 2024 and took a stand against racism. You are in the majority, and your commitment shows that there is a strong public opinion against racism
RACISM FINLAND LUCIA FESTIVAL BLACK WOMAN PRIME MINISTER
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