Aboriginal mothers know racism well

Cassius Turvey.

Candlelight vigils and rallies across Australia following the horrific attack on Noongar children and the death of young Cassius Turvey have highlighted racism in Australia as alive and well, with our innocent children being most vulnerable. In the wake of this horrific violence, we must ask ourselves, what must now be done to prevent this violence in future?

Anthony Albanese powerfully recognised what happened to Cassius and the other Noongar children attacked on the street of Midland. This was a racial attack, he said, imploring Australians to remember “We are a better country”. The Prime Minister’s words were especially meaningful to the Noongar community, which has been terribly traumatised.

We must be a better country, and we can start even just by listening to Aboriginal mothers and children. We know racism well; our grandmothers were forced to hide children from governments that inflicted unimaginable cruelty in the name of “civilisation”.

As mothers, we know our children continue to experience racism; it can happen anywhere at any time. Our kids can be watched walking the streets and shops, experience exclusion and bullying in schools, and even be subjected to racial profiling from the police. The impact on them is serious and can include trauma and mental health distress.

Some years ago, I was working with UNICEF developing a children’s version of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Noongar children told me about the racism they experienced, even being followed in shops buying a loaf of bread for mum. We know this is real and can speak from lived experience. I remember my son walking home from primary school with his cousin when they were stopped by police, just for throwing grass seeds in the air. And on Australia Day when I warned him not to go out, knowing we are especially at risk, the bottle thrown at his face for no reason. I’ve even seen children angrily shouted at for no reason as they played in dirt outside an exclusive tennis club.

This is the ugly face of racism and hate, and it must stop. Our children deserve better and we as a country must do better.

Racism unaddressed grows, it can also become violent and even deadly. In 1991 the Human Rights Commission undertook a national inquiry into racist violence and found that for Aboriginal people it was “widespread” and “endemic”. The inquiry recommended Australia monitor race hate crimes, and prosecute racial violence as hate crimes. Governments largely ignored this critical inquiry of three decades ago. However, change is on the horizon, with the Queensland government recently committing to introduce race hate crimes in parliament, and South Australia soon to follow.

In Western Australia, the Criminal Code was amended so that racism will be an aggravating circumstance in relation to assault offences, but we question whether this law is being given any effect. And surely the crimes of murder where racism exists must be treated as especially heinous.

Australia remains deep in its denial of racism. In the aftermath of this shocking attack, the Police Commissioner and Premier said we must “not speculate”. The children attacked spoke of racial slurs being used but we are told to be quiet. This helps no one; it only harms our people.

The ugly truth is many Aboriginal children are dying from racism.

Led by Albanese and Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney, Australia has now committed to a process of nation building that seeks to heal the wounds of the past. Building on the reconciliation commitment and outstanding Aboriginal business of treaty, we will be called to vote in a national referendum for a constitutionally entrenched Aboriginal voice to parliament.

We need a voice about racism and racist violence. It’s very real, the violence must stop. We need the voice, now more than ever. For our children’s sake, and for our ­future as a nation.

Hannah McGlade, from the Kurin Minang people, is an associate professor at Curtin law school and a member of the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues.