Today was the Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture: Embracing Cultural Diversity in Australia given by Alice Pung and sponsored by the Australian Human Rights Commission. It was INSPIRING! She started by saying her talk was actually titled The Power of Language to Embrace Cultural Diversity in Australia. Here are some quotes from her oration where she encouraged people to listen to racists on talkback radio, coach a basketball team, or fix a tap to embrace cultural diversity.
- "Language locks people out"
- "Books don't change people, people change people"
- "Guilt, discomfort and shame" and "hardwork" are important feelings leading to change
- "Being woke is being awake to power and powerlessness... to reach a sense of connection as human beings"
Here is the abstract:
The inclusion of more voices in Australian discussions around race relations has increased our understanding while challenging outdated assumptions. Notions of colour blindness and assimilationism are gradually giving way to a more open multiculturalism that embraces diversity and truth-telling about the experiences of First Nations peoples. But there is resistance. For many Australians the complexities of identity and belonging remain and embracing a rich cultural heritage within contemporary Australia is not always easy or even possible. The Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture is an annual public event held by the Australian Human Rights Commission to honour the memory of the Hon. Kep Enderby QC (1926-2015), who as Attorney-General introduced the Racial Discrimination Bill to parliament in 1975. Each year, the Lecture advances public understanding and debate about the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, racism and race relations.
Here are the details: https://events.humanitix.com/kep-enderby-memorial-lecture?mc_cid=c47d82e74c&mc_eid=b27a7aaa4e
