Mike Dutta and Zelinda Sherlock launch campaign to combat racism

After an increase in confronting racist incidents in Hobart a father and daughter say enough is enough. Here’s what they say is needed to combat the hate.

Mike Dutta and Zelinda Sherlock who have launched an anti-racism campaign. Picture: Chris Kidd

Racism is more ‘in your face’ in Hobart than ever before, a father daughter councillor duo say, and they hope a new campaign can combat the hate.

Zelinda Sherlock and Mike Dutta have previously spoken out about racism after being the targets of racist vandals at their family’s now-closed cafe.

Dr Sherlock said racism is nothing new in Tasmania – it’s something she’s experienced since she was a child in Hobart.

“20 odd years ago it was so rife in schools,” she said.

“I remember walking to the cricket, my mum and I used to go all the time to the Bellerive oval and we’d watch Pakistan or Sri Lanka play Australia and hear ‘go back to your own country, we don’t want you here, we’re going to beat you’, and just swearing and expletives.”

“Or you’d be sitting at the lights and somebody would wind down the window and tell you to go back to your own country.

“I know a lot of our community is still experiencing that now.”

Anti-racism billboard. Image: Sherlock Dutta consulting.

Mr Dutta said his experience of racism when his family arrived from Fiji 40 years ago was more casual.

“When we first came maybe 40 years ago the racism was more covert, systematic racism – more subtle means. Now it’s more in your face,” he said.

“People attacked my cafe they put huge writing on the walls in public spaces, ‘go back home, you don’t belong here’.

“Over time you develop the resilience to say ‘okay it’s just one of those people’.”

The two have launched the ‘Racism Hurts Me’ campaign through their consulting firm, in response to what they say is increased incidents of racism.

“In recent months there has been heightened racism around the community, more so with students and migrants from Asian countries,” Mr Dutta said.

New migrants coming in they are very young, they are very sensitive, and they come here because they are invited to come and when they come here they are treated like that.

“We’ve launched the campaign because it’s time for us to say lets take this seriously, we need to do something about this.

The two hope to raise awareness in the community and have posted anti racism billboards in New Town and Glenorchy.

They’re also engaging with organisations and politicians to spread the message.

Dr Sherlock said education was important and teaching Tasmanians to celebrate diversity from a young age.

“This initial process is creating more of an awareness about how racism actually hurts,” Dr Sherlock said.

“One of the ways you do that is by educating your people, you cannot let ignorance sit for so long and fester and then go ‘why are people behaving this way?’

“If you want to make this community and this state welcoming and inclusive you have to invest in your people and if you want to invest in your people, one of the ways of doing that is by showing we are a diverse community and difference is a beautiful thing.”

Originally published as Mike Dutta and Zelinda Sherlock launch campaign to combat racism