Charles Perkins
In his pursuit of justice and freedom, Charles Perkins, an Arrernte and Kalkadoon man, as well as a lifelong activist, human rights champion, and renowned soccer player, held a mirror up to Australia. Through his outspoken and sometimes controversial advocacy, he challenged Australia to confront its own history and shine a light on the discrimination and inequality, opening space for debate and opportunities for change. Charles Perkins was the first Aboriginal to graduate from university, and the first indigenous man to head a Government Department. He also led the 1965 Freedom Ride, highlighting racial discrimination and bringing attention to the appalling living conditions of indigenous Australians, in an attempt to recognise the unjust treatment of the aboriginal community.
Born on June 16, 1936, in Alice Springs, Perkins grew up amidst systemic discrimination and marginalization faced by Aboriginal Australians. Separated from his family at only 2, he was moved to a mission as an attempt to integrate into the white community. At 15, he gained employment as a fitter and turner and this was where he played soccer. “Soccer to me, he once said, is one way of …show more content…
He and a group of students from Sydney Uni organised a bus tour of western and coastal New South Wales towns. The free ride, as it came to be called, included visits to Walgett, Kempsey, Bowraville and Moree. Students and the media were shocked at the appalling living conditions of aboriginals, as well as their unjust treatment in the community. They were frequently refused service in shops and barred from clubs and swimming pools. After a heated debate, 6 aboriginal children were allowed to go into the pool. When the rider discovered that the ban had not been lifted, they returned to the protest again and were pelted with rubbish, eggs and tomatoes, as the article in the Daily Mirror
In his pursuit of justice and freedom, Charles Perkins, an Arrernte and Kalkadoon man, as well as a lifelong activist, human rights champion, and renowned soccer player, held a mirror up to Australia. Through his outspoken and sometimes controversial advocacy, he challenged Australia to confront its own history and shine a light on the discrimination and inequality, opening space for debate and opportunities for change. Charles Perkins was the first Aboriginal to graduate from university, and the first indigenous man to head a Government Department. He also led the 1965 Freedom Ride, highlighting racial discrimination and bringing attention to the appalling living conditions of indigenous Australians, in an attempt to recognise the unjust treatment of the aboriginal community.
Born on June 16, 1936, in Alice Springs, Perkins grew up amidst systemic discrimination and marginalization faced by Aboriginal Australians. Separated from his family at only 2, he was moved to a mission as an attempt to integrate into the white community. At 15, he gained employment as a fitter and turner and this was where he played soccer. “Soccer to me, he once said, is one way of …show more content…
He and a group of students from Sydney Uni organised a bus tour of western and coastal New South Wales towns. The free ride, as it came to be called, included visits to Walgett, Kempsey, Bowraville and Moree. Students and the media were shocked at the appalling living conditions of aboriginals, as well as their unjust treatment in the community. They were frequently refused service in shops and barred from clubs and swimming pools. After a heated debate, 6 aboriginal children were allowed to go into the pool. When the rider discovered that the ban had not been lifted, they returned to the protest again and were pelted with rubbish, eggs and tomatoes, as the article in the Daily Mirror