Blogs
In this blog, we’ll explore five key areas where we believe people need to keep showing up for First Nations communities, amplifying Blak voices, and continuing doing the work towards a just future for all.
It has been seven months since the horrendous, painful and racist Voice Referendum on 14th October 2023 and Blakfullas have arrived wounded, but not defeated, at the first Reconciliation week since.
Written by Sissy Austin (Gunditjmara, Keeray Wurrung and Djab Wurrung)
Moments in time stood frozen on Referendum Day in the Clothing The Gaps (CTG) warehouse where I was surrounded by people who left nothing in the ‘Yes’ campaign tank. We all still held onto hope despite the polls that said “we needed a miracle” and it even crossed my mind that if we won, there was going to be an impromptu party at CTG!
Just over an hour into the vote count, I heard someone say “it's over” with tears rolling down their face. The night was a blur but, I will never forget this moment, how it felt and the looks of devastation on people’s face - it was a landslide 'No' victory.
We caught up with Felicity Cull, the Head of Digital Content at the strategic communications agency Pesel & Carr to get some advice because we had experienced an massive increase of bots and racism on CTG social media in the lead up to the Referendum. It had gotten so bad, that we felt like we were losing control our own pages!
Felicity's tips helped us so much we just had to share them with you all - because at the end of the day Blak people should be able to read the comments! By taking action we can work together to create safer online spaces Mob.
With the Referendum date in full swing, and school being back for a little over a week, we have already had several conversations with First Nations students about the interactions happening in their classrooms now.
This blog shares perspectives from an Aboriginal student, Aboriginal educator and advocate, Shelley Ware, a KESO and a non-Indigenous high school teacher.
