An iconic image showing Aboriginal rights activist, Gary Foley with a placard reading, “Pardon me for being born into a nation of racists”. It was part of a protest against the South African Springboks rugby tour of Australia in 1971 during apartheid.
Read more of the fascinating story of that time on kooriweb.
Categories: history, indigenous, social justice
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I came across Foley’s essay and found it really, really interesting.. thought some of you might also enjoy the read.
Thanks bluemilk, very interesting indeed. I miss the fire and passion for social justice that I felt widespread around me during the 70s, I really do. Perhaps it was just a more optimistic time, that *this time* we could do something about the intersecting systemic biases? Whereas now we know it’s a hard, slow slog, and it’s harder to feel so thrilled by it even though one still has passion and fire.
Perhaps also it is easier to hit ‘like’ on a status or RT and feel like you have achieved something?
Although, people setting up websites and change.org petitions are starting to get cut through even though it takes a lot of tweeting and posting.
tigtog – love this perspective you’ve shared. When I was reading the essay I thought, wow the activism sounds so exciting back then but being born in the mid-70s I don’t have the perspective to know whether it really was that exciting back then or not. Anyway, glad others have enjoyed the essay and that photo, isn’t it so stirring?