What to do if you witness racism on the bus? Is a graphic step-by-step guide supporting bystanders to safely intervene in racist incidents on public transport.

The guide provides evidence-based tips from various Australian academic studies and includes guidance on how to speak up and call out racism, support victims and take evidence of racist incidents on public transport.

Reporting Racism Clearing House resource

Reporting Racism Clearing House provides a collection of information and resources about how to report racism or racial discrimination in Australia.

The website recommends strategies on how to effectively be an active bystander and ally for those targeted by racism. It highlights research from the Challenging Racism Project providing a series of videos about how to speak up and actions you can consider taking when you witness racism.

Reporting Racism Clearing House covers information about reporting racism, including that which occurs in locations where people are most likely to be discriminated and how to make a complaint. The website includes detailed information about legal frameworks relating to racism, dispute resolution, counselling and self-care resources for victims and witnesses of racist incidents.

United Nations Declaration On The Rights Of Indigenous Peoples webpage (opens in new window).

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is the most comprehensive international instrument on the rights of Indigenous peoples. It establishes a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity and well-being of the Indigenous peoples around the world. The Declaration elaborates on existing human rights standards and fundamental freedoms as they apply to the specific situation of indigenous peoples.

https://nationalseedproject.org/Key-SEED-Texts/white-privilege-unpacking-the-invisible-knapsack

Peggy McIntosh’s seminal essay ‘White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack’ exposes white privilege through statements that highlight privileges that are often taken for granted. Her work seeks to enable audiences to understand how people of colour experience society differently. The National Seed Project have included notes to assist facilitators present this essay.

Show Racism the Red Card (opens in new window)

Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) is the UK’s leading anti-racism educational charity.

SRtRC utilises the high-profile status of football and football players to help tackle racism in society.

The campaign provides educational workshops to young people and adults in schools, workplaces and at events held in football stadiums.                              

In addition to the direct education of young people and adults, SRtRC produces educational resources (opens in new window) to challenge misconceptions, stereotypes and negative attitudes in society.

The campaign’s website features educational films (opens in new window) with appearances from range of professional football players such as Harry Kane, Dele Ali, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Pickford, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Maguire, Eni Aluko alongside England and Wales managers, Gareth Southgate and Ryan Giggs respectively.

The films address a range of issues surrounding racism and help teachers and other training professionals to deliver training in their schools and workplaces.

Link to Reconciliation Australia webpage. 

Reconciliation Australia provides information, educational tools and a variety of resources to promote and facilitate reconciliation between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Link to Reach Out's webpage on understanding racism and how to spot it.

The first step in stopping racism is understanding what it actually is. But that's not always easy. Reach Out has put together a handy guide to help you understand it and identify it.

Racism. No way! webpage. 

Racism. No way! A guide for Australian schools brings together education on racism and a framework with practical strategies for countering racism in schools.

Narragunnawali - Take Action Against Racism (opens in new window)

Australia is a vibrant, multicultural country. Almost half of the population was born overseas or has a parent who was born overseas. One in five Australians speak a language other than English at home. Approximately 3% of the population identify as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.

Research shows that 86% of Australians believe that multiculturalism is a positive factor in maintaining social cohesion. While cultural diversity is a celebrated part of Australia’s national identity, the unfortunate reality is that many individuals and communities in Australia experience prejudice, discrimination and racism on a regular basis. 

The experience of racism continues to be very real for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in particular.  There is strong and consistent evidence that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including children, experience racism, prejudice and discrimination at levels that are higher than for most, if not all, other groups in Australia. The 2018 Australian Reconciliation Barometer found that 33% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experienced at least one form of verbal racial abuse in the past 6 months, 51% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people believe that Australia is a racist country, and 49% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people consider racial and cultural differences as the biggest cause of social divisions in Australia. 

For this reason, improving race relations is central to reconciliation. Race relations is one of the five integral and interrelated dimensions of reconciliation in Australia. That is, the race relations dimension calls for all Australians to understand and value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous cultures, rights and experiences, which results in stronger relationships based on trust and respect and that are free of racism.

Schools and early learning services play a major role in influencing the formation of students’ and children’s attitudes and world views, as well as those of the wider communities. Educating communities can therefore counter racist attitudes and their negative effects by assisting students to develop an understanding and respect for cultural differences. Having conversations with students and children about racism is important, but perhaps equally important, anti-racism needs to be actively and holistically lived and modelled every day.

https://othersociologist.com/sociology-of-race/

Dr Zuleyka Zevallos is a Peruvian-Australian applied sociologist, living on Gadigal land (Sydney).

Dr Zevallos holds a PhD in Sociology and has 20 years’ experience in research, policy and consultancy. They specialise in analysing issues of gender and sexuality, race and culture, discrimination and diversity in the workplace, social media, health and safety, and interdisciplinary research.

The Other Sociologist provides resources, research and information on race and racism.