All posts in Uncategorized

Race and difference, (Black and White – the grey area)

There is something beautiful, rich and deep about different cultures and their traditions. We travel to other countries to experience firsthand the diversities of life, the people and their uniqueness.

Yet let them come to our country to live and they will be judged according to their race and colour – not their individual character. This racial generalisation, that is so typical of human nature, makes no sense. Colour of the skin is an inherited, unearned asset. It can make life much easier or more difficult. It means being instantly judged, categorized and assessed in advance, being viewed not as an individual but as a member of a race.

We are born into our race. It is not a choice that is made at birth or something that can be changed later in life. Our race is not something we can hide or escape from, it stays with us from the moment we enter this world and for the duration of our lives. We inherit our race from our ancestors. It is a part of us, and one that we should be proud of. Yet it forms the foundation for racial discrimination and judgement in day to day life. The colour of our skin is genetic, not chosen, and while we may dislike one person’s colour, it is amazing to realise just how many spend a fortune on trying to change their own, be it through tanning or bleaching! This ridicules the absurd notion that colour and race are interchangeable. Race is a deeper inherent characteristic that cannot be represented by colour. Skin pigmentation is just this, breeding it out – as was the idea in Australia – may have succeeded in diluting the colour, but it in no way can change the deeper racial traits.

Race is different from social class, the characteristics of which are acquired or can be learned and therefore modified by slight adjustments to accent and vocabulary, gesture and stance. Being white or black is an inescapable fact, making opinions and attitudes irrelevant. Meeting and getting to know a lot of people from different races and colour, in a variety of situations, makes racial generalisation incongruous. Once we have established a relationship with an individual, their personality becomes more important than their race and one no longer judges them for their ancestral roots, showing that there is as much variety and no greater virtue in a black community than there is in a white one. A relationship with the individual breaks down the barrier that is caused by race, and welcomes a diverse community where one is accepted regardless of race or colour.

History shows that we have an inherent fear of things that we don’t understand. By making ourselves familiar with people, their personal stories and personalities we have the potential to remove this fear and the barrier that is caused by colour and race. This surely is victory over adversity.

‘To live anywhere in the world today and be against equality because of race or color is like living in Alaska and being against snow.’ (William Faulkner)

Special people

Through happy coincidence or divine appointment there are people who cross our path during life who have a great impact on us. One such person for me is definitely Colin Jones. Since well before I started ‘Metamorphosoz’ I have been convinced that you have to know where you are coming from to know where you are going. History shows us through successes and failures what works – and what doesn’t. However, random history taken out of context, with contrasting perspectives of the same historical event as witnessed by different nations, may result in incorrect conclusions being reached. It is important to find a mind that can meld information from many sources, interpret it through comparison or language translation and explain it in simple terms that can be readily understood by those searching for answers. In Colin I have found such a mind, such a mentor. He has shown me that it is often the slightest nuance, the minutest of detail that can deliver to us an accurate story or a complete misinterpretation.

On our first meeting he left me speechless as I listened in awe of his knowledge. His ability to make connections between history, geography, different cultures and their achievements was inspirational. The depth of his understanding and logical reasoning is backed by research. His willingness to freely share his knowledge has given me a much better understanding of the world and its history. It has brought clarity to issues that have troubled me as I have attempted to put reason to the historical events that have taken place, not just in Australia but throughout the world.

In his spare time Colin visits high security prisons to teach and lecture to the inmates. Through his gentle but firm approach he helps them explore their past, question the reasons behind their wrong doings, bring understanding to the choices they have made and offer solutions through the knowledge he imparts. During his lectures he makes a point of letting his students question everything they hear and learn about, getting into the habit of researching the facts to ‘really know and understand’. He offers security and empowers them to stand up for themselves as they understand who they are and where they have come from. I have seen his students make connections between their own lives and the history that they have learned about, drawing parallels which in turn enable them to be proud of who they are, their heritage, and – most importantly – shows them where they are going to.

David Unaipon believed that ‘the Aborigines transition to European society should be facilitated through education’. Colin has perpetuated this belief. Stressing, that there is power in knowledge and history. His depth of knowledge is an inspiration, his desire to share it unlimited and his love of people palpable. He wants to see his troubled students turn from violence as their way of solving a problem to a life where knowledge is their strength. In this way they can turn from a life of adversity to one of victory.

To reinforce his teachings, he uses the following quote as a constant reminder:

‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’

(Edward George Bulwer-Lytton, 1803 – 1873, British politician, author and playwright)

The black Leonardo

It is interesting that history offers windows of opportunity. Times when apparently random events take place that completely change the lives of those caught up in them. In his book ‘Outliers’, Malcolm Gladwell presents a case for “being in the right place at the right time.” A place where genius can grow and flourish under the right conditions.

It was such a window of opportunity that brought preacher, author and inventor David Unaipon to notoriety. Born on 28th September 1872 at Point McLeay Mission, South Australia, he attended the mission school from the age of 7. In 1885 he left to become a servant to C.B.Young who encouraged his interest in philosophy, science and music. He trained as a bootmaker, played the organ and read widely. His obsession with perpetual motion and the study of science led him to developing and patenting an improved handpiece for sheep shearing. Publishing work on the development of polarized light and helicopter flight led to his reputation as ‘black genius’ or ‘Australia’s Leonardo’. His concept of a helicopter came from applying the principles of the boomerang. He went on to apply for patents on other inventions including a centrifugal motor, a multi radial wheel and a mechanical propulsive device.

David Unaipon was the first Aboriginal writer to be published; with articles for the Sydney Daily Telegraph from 1924. His poetry and legends were influenced by the classics, his research into Egyptology and authors Milton and Bunyan; they pre-dated the work of other Aboriginal writers by over thirty years. Never straying from his roots he collected traditional Aboriginal stories from which he wrote a book entitled ‘Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals’ published by William Ramsay Smith, without acknowledgment to his authorship. His most known books are ‘Aboriginal Legends’ (1927), ‘Native Legends’ (1929) and ‘Leaves of memory’ (1953).

An eminent speaker, Unaipon believed that the Aborigines’ transition to European society should be facilitated through education. His genius and ability as an orator allowed him to herald the case for education within the Aboriginal community. While his ability allowed him more freedom to travel than others, relatively unhindered by the official restraints usually placed on Aborigines, he was often refused food or shelter due to his race. Undeterred by such contradiction, he was able to influence government Aboriginal policy and assist in an inquiry into Aboriginal welfare. By 1928 he was the best-known Aborigine in Australia and accepted as his people’s spokesman.

This is the story of a man born into the adversity that afflicted his race. Yet he was able to learn, grow and encourage his people to do the same. That his face is now seen on the fifty dollar note emphasizes the important role that he played in his life and gives strength to the argument that he went from Adversity to Victory, believing that if he could do it, anyone can do it.

‘As a full blooded member of my race I think I may claim to be the first, but I hope not the last – to produce an enduring record of our customs, beliefs and imaginings.” (David Unaipon)

The meaning of life

If Monty Python were to be believed, then the meaning of life is ’42’. This rather simplistic view on such a deep philosophical subject had us all laughing at the time, but didn’t really answer the question. It would appear that many people are currently searching for their own meaning to life, judging by the number of self help and motivational programs being offered for our enlightenment. Why are we here? What are we doing? What and who do we believe in? Where did we come from and how did we manage to get it so horribly wrong? This is our starting point, based on our current knowledge.

What if we started from somewhere else, a new or different viewpoint from an advanced culture with thousands of years of wisdom and knowledge to draw from. A people unadulterated by our western culture who developed in a completely different way, based on their own set of circumstances. A people who learnt to adapt to their situation and life’s continual trials that required the very best of minds to overcome. A people adept at taking ideas, refining them, modifying them and coming up with solutions so revolutionary that they defied the understanding of the ‘educated mind’. A people who taught us the fundamentals of aerodynamics, a people who invented ways of living and surviving in the harshest of environments.

If these people existed, what could they tell us? How would their knowledge impact on us? Would we listen and increase our wealth of understanding or would we believe that we are still right? While they would be taking all the good that we have to offer, and adding it to their basket, increasing their skills at the same time, would we be learning from them? Of course we would, it is in our nature – or is it?

These people do exist, they have been around for thousands of years. They developed a way of life that enabled them to live and enjoy everything that was given to them on earth and spiritually. We thought that they were ignorant, no more than stone age people – yet the Indigenous people of Australia were and are a race so advanced that we are still attempting to catch up. It is this quality, dwelling deep within the psyche of the modern day Aboriginal, that has allowed him the Victory over Adversity, for he may have understood what was happening to him and accepted it, long before we realised just what we were doing. As Oodgeroo put it:

Son of Mine, 1960

I could tell you of heartbreak, hatred blind,
I could tell you of crimes that shame mankind,
Of brutal wrong and deeds malign,
Of rape and murder, son of mine;

But I’ll tell instead of brave and fine
When lives of black and white entwine
And men in brotherhood combine –
This I would tell you, son of mine.

– Oodgeroo Noonuccal –

(1920 – 1993) known for most of her life as the writer, painter and political activist Kath Walker, Oodgeroo resumed her traditional name in 1988