Corey Webster is a highly accomplished person. He’s made a name for himself as a hip hop artist not just here but in the United States. He’s from Nowra and he’s Indigenous, a proud member of the Yuin nation. And Nowra is proud of him.
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It is easy to understand his disgust at being subjected to a racist rant by an Uber driver in Sydney, who latched on to fact he was from Nowra. Not realising Corey was Indigenous, the driver let forth with a string of opinions about the Aboriginal community here and elsewhere.
It was an ignorant and hurtful outburst. And it showed that as a society we have a long way to go when it comes to breaking down prejudice and reflexive racism.
The fact it came to light on the same day the nation reeled in shock at the mistreatment of Aboriginal children in a detention centre in Darwin makes it even sadder. In one day, a successful Indigenous artist reveals a nasty encounter with a racist driver and the horrific treatment of Aboriginal juvenile detainees puts our country in the worst possible light.
Corey says the fact a highly offensive word is used in 2016 to label and demean Aboriginal people is hard to believe. Unfortunately, it is entirely believable. In recent times, we have seen Indigenous AFL player and Australian of the Year Adam Goodes subjected to racist taunts and sustained booing on the field. We have seen him made the butt of a nasty joke by high-profile public figure Eddie McGuire.
That’s the offensive stuff which gets seen in public. Out of the public eye, casual racism is alive and well.
Corey did exactly what we should all do when we encounter racism – call it out.
When a colleague at work thinks it appropriate to share a racist joke, call them out. When a friend demeans someone with a racist label, call them out. When a parent offers a racist observation, call them out. When a racist sledge is launched on the sports field, call it out.
Through the White Ribbon campaign, we are encouraged to do this when it comes to the mistreatment of women. It should be part of our strategy when it comes to combating racism.
When we can show it is not acceptable to judge people by the colour of their skin, to demean them with nasty jokes, we will begin to build respect. That respect will be repaid. We owe it to ourselves and our children, who will benefit from a better society.
