Indigenous people must have justice - Black Lives Matter
This year we have also seen the return to prominence of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Yet as we know, this is not just an issue for the United States. Right here in Australia, 439 indigenous people have died in police custody - and not one single person has been successfully prosecuted for any of these deaths.
Indigenous leader, and great friend of the Edmund Rice Centre, Pat Dodson, led the Royal Commission into Indigenous Deaths in Custody back in the early 90’s. Yet since that landmark report was handed down no fewer than 439 indigenous people have died in police custody or prison - and not one single person has been successfully prosecuted for any of these deaths. This is our nation’s great shame.
As the ground-breaking indigenous politician Jack Ah Kit said in his first speech to the NT Parliament.
“Let us not have the racist sins of the fathers visited upon our children”
To challenge this great injustice this is the reason we at the ERC have developed the Let’s Talk program. Let’s Talk engages and educates young people in cross cultural learnings, breaking down the misinformation and prejudice and highlighting the horrors and impacts of racism. Such work is central to our mandate at the ERC, in how we can make the long term systemic change that will ensure our country is one we can all be proud of.
Through your support, together we have been able to raise the issues and the voices of those who are most impacted by COVID-19.
In 2021, ERC will continue the First Nations Programs by running the Let’s Talk immersion programs and the Indigenous Resilience Research Project, which will build on Indigenous-led programs across Australia to inspire young emerging Indigenous leaders.
Please support our work that changes our country and our people for the better.