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Articles on Public racism

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Black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, right, beat James Jeffries in 1910, sparking racial violence. George Haley, San Francisco Call, via University of California, Riverside, via Library of Congress

When a Black boxing champion beat the ‘Great White Hope,’ all hell broke loose

Johnson’s victory, in the manliest of sports, contradicted claims of racial supremacy by whites and demonstrated that Blacks were no longer willing to acquiesce to white dominance.
For Black birdwatchers, the outdoors is a relaxing space but not one free from racism and discrimination. (Shutterstock)

What you should know about Black birders

As Black birdwatcher Christian Cooper learned in New York City’s Central Park, nature is seen as a white space and Black birdwatching as an aberration.
Anti-obscenity laws were never designed to stop racism. anguila40/Flickr

Racist rants and viral videos: why the law alone can’t end racism

Karen Bailey pleaded guilty at Downing Centre Local Court last Thursday to the crime of using offensive language. Bailey received a 12-month good behaviour bond for the offence, with no conviction recorded…
AFL clubs Collingwood and St Kilda will play an annual match to celebrate the legacy of Indigenous trailblazer Nicky Winmar. AAP/Hamish Blair

A game whose time has come: Winmar, Goodes and race in the AFL

The best photos do more than freeze time. They capture a moment and take us there, making witnesses of us all. Here lies their power to inspire, touch and transform; a power tied to the stories, hopes…
The media coverage of the Eddie McGuire racism controversy is instructive in showing how far we have to go to combat racism. AAP/David Crosling

Racism in the AFL: Eddie McGuire and the media prove there’s still a long way to go

The AFL world has had a tough week, with racism rearing its ugly head again. For an organisation that likes to think of itself as a leader in combating prejudice, the repeated comments about Adam Goodes…
Eddie McGuire has found himself trying to explain away his ‘brain-fade’ where he vilified Sydney player Adam Goodes. AAP Image/David Crosling

Eddie McGuire, Adam Goodes and ‘apes’: a landmark moment in Australian race relations

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire’s week has seen him go from - to use the American sporting vernacular - hero to zero. Having been lauded for his response to a young female Collingwood supporter calling…
Most us know that calling someone an ape is racist, but few of us understand why. The Hornet magazine, 1871

The ape insult: a short history of a racist idea

European scientists used evolution to justify their view of Europeans as genetically superior - especially with the erroneous view that Africans were somehow an intermediate step between apes and Europeans.
The racist taunt aimed at Sydney player Adam Goodes from a young fan provides an opportunity for education rather than humiliation. Twitter/Channel 7

The AFL’s Indigenous Round and the innocent face of racism

Friday night’s AFL match between Collingwood and Sydney marked the opening of the code’s Indigenous Round. Yet the chance for the contribution of Indigenous footballers to the game - both past and present…
Video recorded on cameraphones, such as this from a Melbourne train, is proof that people are willing to shame racism in public and no longer be the ‘silent majority’. Fairfax Media

Racism in public: why the majority will be silent no longer

In response to a number of highly publicised events where people from minority religious, ethnic or other cultural backgrounds have been approached on public transport and subjected to a tirade of racist…

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