Geraldine Napangardi Granites, Snake Vine Dreaming
It hardly bares thinking Black Lives Matter even has to be stated.
In Australia our indigenous population have endured, and continue to endure widespread racism, discrimination, segregation and brutality. In November last year a young Walpiri man, Kumanjayi Walker, was shot in Yuendumu for breaches of his suspended sentence. He subsequently died while in police custody with a Northern Territory police officer later being charged with his murder. Kumanjayi is from a community represented through our art gallery.
Shocking, avoidable and in no way justifiable.
Reconciliation Week in Australian ends tomorrow so let’s hope people reflect on the events in America and at home by moving forward in a positive manner whereby it’s accepted all have equal human rights.
In the UK we see young black men ripping into each other with knives and increasingly using guns to inflict revenge in their postcode wars. So much was taken away from our young, particularly our black youths, during austerity. If Black Lives Matter(ed) to those in power community centres would reopen and youth programmes reinstated. Police funding could go towards supporting the young rather than installing multiple cameras on every street corner.
Black Lives Matter. Stop the Killing.