Charisa Bossinakis
First Nations celebrities are urging Australians to call out racism whenever they see it.
The register, dubbed Call It Out, is an independent, Indigenous-led platform that encourages people to share experiences of racism without the barriers and conventions of other complaint systems.
By ‘calling it out’, you can tell people your entire experience with racism, which will allow future leaders to fight against it.
Individual reports of racism are collected and analysed by the Jumbunna Research, which will inform an annual report to raise awareness while implementing systematic change.
The Call It Out website reads: “Our aim is to prepare an annual public report outlining frequency and nature of reported incidents of racism.
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"We see the First Nations Racism Register as a long term project that can progressively impact public policy into the future.”
They added that the registry would follow in the footsteps of Jewish and Muslim groups who collect and report on anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents.
You can find it here.
All you have to do is file a report via the website, which will take less than five minutes.
Some of the country's most recognisable First Nations people have already rallied behind the cause, including Dr Anita Heiss, journalist John Paul Janke, actor Mark Coles Smith, journalist Narelda Jacobs, actor Aunty Roxanne Macdonald, gold medallist Nova Peris OAM, NRL star Joe Williams, sports journalist Shelley Ware, and actor Tasma Walton.
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I mean, just to name a few.
Professor Larissa Behrendt AO, an Eualyai and Kamillaroi person who is Director of Jumbunna Research and Board Director of the National Justice Project, said the campaign would allow First Nations People to convey the reality of discrimination in the country.
“First Nations Peoples experience of racism and discrimination is deeply rooted in the history of the invasion of this country, but the true nature and extent of what First Nations peoples experience day-to-day is still largely unseen and unheard by the Australian public,” Professor Behrendt said.
“As long as individuals, systems and the media ignore and minimise the impact of racism, we will continue to fail in our efforts as a community – and as a nation – to achieve First Nations healing, equality, justice and self-determination.”
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So if you’ve ever experienced racism and want to come forward with a story, make sure you log your report to call it out today.