Responding to racism
Within your spheres of influence, you can make space for people to share their stories safely, while being mindful that people do not have to share their stories for our learning. The burden to identify, understand, and tackle racism should not be placed only on people with lived experience of racism.
In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have long been tackling racism through truth-telling and storytelling, which document the ongoing history and impact of colonisation and racism. These are important ways for us to understand and address institutional and systemic barriers that lead to inequality and disadvantage.
What is First Nations storytelling?
“Storytelling is an expression of Indigenous sovereignty”
Indigenous Storytelling and the Living Archive of Aboriginal Knowledge Project1
For many First Nations groups, storytelling is both a way to create and share knowledge, and to claim their sovereignty and unique rights. Storytelling is an ongoing practice used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It can take various forms, including verbal communication, artmaking, performance, writing or other expressions of culture.2
What is truth-telling?
“…it will take a brave nation to walk and talk Gari Yala, to grapple with the truth of its history and enact the structural change necessary to elevate the ancient voices of First Nations.”3
Truth-telling is connected to First Nations storytelling. For many years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have advocated for truths about Australia’s history to be told.4 The practice of truth-telling has been identified by many, as a path to amplify the voices of First Nations peoples who experience injustices.5 In Australia, truth-telling offers the opportunity to have honest conversations about our history.6 In practice, truth-telling can involve different kinds of activities, from sharing verbal or written stories, changing the school syllabus to reflect diverse experiences, to the creation of truth Commissions.7 An approach for national truth-telling, called the Makarrata Commission, was proposed in the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
When we use the concepts of storytelling and truth-telling, it’s important to remember their origins through First Nations survival and resistance.
Relevant anti-racist skills
We can use our anti-racism skill set to be responsible and respectful listeners.
Respectful listening:
There are many people with lived experience and expertise who share experiences and knowledge about race and racism. However, there are many people who choose not to, or may not want to in certain circumstances.
People who experience discrimination do not have a responsibility to share their thoughts, feelings, or experiences for our learning. The responsibility lies on each of us to find available information from the many resources and stories that have already been shared, some of which can be found in the Resource Hub.
In Australia, there are more and more spaces of truth-telling about racism and its impact. For example, the Yoorrook Justice Commission, and projects like the Killing Times. Being anti-racist means finding these spaces to listen and learn. This can be in the media, in books, online, or at events. It's essential to listen to these stories and truths without being defensive or judgmental.
Critical listening:
Talking and learning about racism is uncomfortable. It can mean that conversations can often be derailed, as it is easier to avoid confronting the tough problems. Unfortunately, sometimes the person calling out racism receives more criticism than the racism itself. Engaging with information critically is important, to ensure that we avoid the temptation to stray away from an anti-racist approach.
When we are listening to and learning from others, it can be useful to think critically about information we are receiving. The principles of anti-racism are useful tools in assessing whether an approach, idea, or program is anti-racist. You can find more information on anti-racism principles in the National Anti-Racism Framework Scoping Report.
A useful way to think critically, can include asking yourself: Is this anti-racist? Does it follow anti-racist principles? Why does it, or does it not seem anti-racist?
1 Jeanine Leane, Kate Senior, Richard Chenhall, Rimi Khan, Gavan McCarthy, Sabra Thorner, Fran Edmonds, Indigenous Storytelling and the Living Archive of Aboriginal Knowledge (Project, The University of Melbourne) 2020 < https://arts.unimelb.edu.au/school-of-culture-and-communication/our-research/research-projects/indigenous-storytelling-and-the-living-archive-of-aboriginal-knowledge>.
2 ibid
3 Teela Reid, 2020: The year of reckoning, not reconciliation (Article, Griffith Review) 2020 <https://www.griffithreview.com/articles/2020-year-of-reckoning/>.
4 Joanna Luke, Truth-telling to reimagine our nation(s) histories (Article, IndigenousX) 2019 <https://indigenousx.com.au/truth-telling-to-reimagine-our-nations-histories/>.
5 Joanna Luke, Truth-telling to reimagine our nation(s) histories (Article, IndigenousX) 2019 <https://indigenousx.com.au/truth-telling-to-reimagine-our-nations-histories/>.
5 Gemma Pol, Truth-Telling (Article, Common Ground) 2022 <https://www.commonground.org.au/article/truth-telling>.
6 ibid; Tony Birch, The Yoo-rrook Justice Commission: Seeking truth and justice (Article, IndigenousX) 2021 <https://indigenousx.com.au/the-yoo-rrook-justice-commission-seeking-truth-and-justice/>.