Video Transcription

RACISM: Navigating life in Australia

Would you mind sharing an experience of racism you’ve had?

“The type of racism that I experience here in Australia is subtle. I can tell when I leave a room that certain people speak about me in a certain way.”

“People have a fear against our people, and you notice that when you’re walking down the street—like on the sidewalk—people will go around to the other side of the street because they’re scared that you might do something.”

“The racism in Australia is mostly around stereotypes and systemic racism. Like, I’m expected to be good at sport because I’m Black. I’m expected to be a criminal these days because I’m Black. I’m expected to steal from a shop. You just start to believe what people think of you—it becomes normal.”

“I want to feel like I belong here, and I want to feel like I’m included in this space. So you just end up shutting down so many parts of you that make you uniquely you.”

“I would never want to bring any cultural food for lunch. I remember all the girls would have beautiful straight hair, and I—okay, this is a really bad example because I’ve straightened my hair—but I naturally have curly hair. I would always try and brush it out. My hair would be really frizzy, and it would never go straight. I’d be like, ‘Why don’t I have straight hair?’ And it’s just because I never saw other people like me with curly hair. I thought I had to have straight hair to fit in.”

“My high school thought it would be a good idea to group all of the Black girls—South Sudanese included—into an auditorium and then tell them, ‘If you’re seen with two or more at lunchtime or recess, you’re considered a gang, and that’s not allowed.’ That was crazy. They just singled out all the Black girls.”

“It’s left me feeling empowered, basically, because at the end of the day, my skin colour doesn’t show who I am. You have the same cells as me, you have the same body parts as me—you’re a human being.”

“It’s difficult trying to get rid of racism. You’re going to have people who are ignorant and close-minded, who don’t want to listen and don’t want to learn. They’re stuck in their old ways.”

“In my ideal world, I would want everyone to just be willing to educate themselves in different cultures. We’re a young nation—Australia and South Sudan—and I think we can all learn something from each other and just educate each other. That’s my ideal world.”

“Being categorised down to just the arbitrary factor of the colour of your skin must feel horrible. So I think it’s extremely important—and a responsibility—for each person to keep an open mind, catch themselves when they begin to have those biases affect them, and instead, simply be kind and treat others as human beings.”

“Through life, you’re going to go through some challenges. Don’t be scared to ask for support. Don’t be scared to reach out and say you are struggling and that you need help to navigate who you are.”

“Don’t be afraid to get out of the box—explore new things and challenge yourself in ways you never thought you could. While all fear is valid, it is something you need to push through if we’re going to progress in terms of accepting everyone, regardless of skin colour and culture.”