Imagine if you were on a packed bus, and people would rather stand up than sit down next to you. Imagine for a moment every time you went out shopping, the assistants watched you like a hawk until you left. Imagine applying for job after job, only having employers assume you’re not up to the task despite your qualifications.
This isn’t a parallel universe where common decency has gone out the door. This is a reality many Australians are faced with every single day.
A new Beyond Blue campaign exposes Australia’s ‘subtle’ racists for what they are. Bigoted, prejudiced, and deeply, deeply hurtful.
The campaign is called ‘Stop Think Respect’ and it’s made to make you feel uncomfortable.
Astoundingly, the BeyondBlue survey revealed that one in five non-Indigenous Australians say they would move away if an Indigenous person sat near them. Almost 10 percent of respondents also admitted they would never hire an Indigenous jobseeker.
What. The. Hell?
“The Stop Think Respect campaign makes a stand that racism is not acceptable,” NT Senator Nova Peris said. “But it also makes people think about whether they might be subconsciously engaging in subtle racism. It makes people think about the potential consequences of their actions.”
Indigenous Australians are twice as likely to die by suicide as non-indigenous Australians, and are almost three times more likely to experience psychological distress.
Let’s just think about that for a moment. Because it’s unacceptable.
Society’s racism- casual or explicit- is contributing to these horrific statistics. Isn’t it about time things changed, Australia?
If you weren’t able to watch the video, here are some of the most powerful moments in the ad:
Pass this on to all your friends if this is an aspect of Australian culture you’re not at all proud of.