Interpersonal racism in focus as It Stops With Me campaign continues

A human rights body wants to create a campaign featuring unpaid sports stars to spread the message that Australia is “fundamentally racist.”

Human rights boffins have resurrected a plan to force taxpayers to fund an advertising campaign promoting the idea that Australia is fundamentally racist – and they want to feature some of the nation’s biggest sporting stars, who will be expected to work for free.

Weeks after the Australian Human Rights Commission pulled a $140,000 tender to ­refresh its “Racism – It Stops With Me” campaign after it was heavily criticised for promoting the idea that Australia is “structurally and institutionally racist”, the independent body has quietly refreshed the idea.

In a new “Approach to Market”, seen by The Daily Telegraph, the AHRC is calling for an update of the promotional campaign ­“focusing on structural racism in addition to interpersonal ­racism.”

A new ad campaign is preparing to use sports stars to tell us that we are racist. Picture: AFP

Structural and institutional racism are terms associated with the controversial doctrine of “critical race theory”.

This asserts that skin colour is perhaps the most important thing about a person and that any differences in outcomes between groups is the result of in-built societal prejudice.

The campaign anticipates sports stars among others will be used as free talent.

“Given the campaign’s longstanding partnership with the AFL, NRL and other Australian sporting codes, celebrity ambassadors and related sporting talent will be available free of charge,” the document states.

Critics have blasted the revamped proposal, saying that it divides Australians rather than unites them.

A mural of Aboriginal former AFL player Adam Goodes in Surry Hills, Sydney. Picture: AAP

“When the Australian Human Rights Commission talks about institutional and systemic racism with public money, what they mean is that Australia and Australians are irredeemably racist. This is fundamentally untrue,” said Dr Bella d’Abrera, director of the Foundations of Western Civilisation Program at the ­Institute of Public Affairs.

“It’s just a rewrite of what will amount to a divisive and dangerous campaign.

“It is outrageous that the AHRC will work with the AFL and NRL to lecture their fans about how racist they are.

“AHRC is using taxpayer dollars to push the false and insulting narrative that Australia is structurally racist.”

South Australian senator Alex Antic said: “Rather than pandering to a woke minority, it is my suggestion that the AHRC, the AFL and the NRL learn the lessons of failing overseas sporting codes and stick to their knitting.”

The AHRC said it was doing the work asked of them.

Originally published as Interpersonal racism in focus as It Stops With Me campaign continues