'You're suing the police?': Changing responses to racism in the African diaspora

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Experiences of racism differ between generations in Australia's African diasporas. Credit: AAP, SBS

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For people of African descent, experiences of racism and discrimination are varied. How are different generations coming together to understand and address the issue?

Nor Shanino experienced racism growing up in Australia, as a young person with an African background.

He told SBS Examines there have been big changes in how racism is viewed in his community in just one generation.

"It was only when young people went and talked to legal aid ... You could see parents just being like, 'what, you're suing the police?' The parents were afraid of retaliation from the police, actual physical harm, because of the reality and the world and where they came from."

Tigist Kebede is a trauma counsellor who works with young people from African cultural backgrounds.

She said younger generations tend to disclose experiencing subtle or everyday forms of racism, while older generations may have experienced more overt or systemic racism.

But she said that divide has started to narrow, following anti-immigration rallies and anti-African media and community sentiments over the past few years.

There has been a bridge between generations.

"That has resulted in younger generations working with the older generations in tackling not only the experiences of racism, but the solutions," Ms Kebede told SBS Examines.

This episode of Understanding Hate looks at how people of African descent are addressing racism within their own communities and between generations.

Transcript

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SBS acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia.

Nor Shanino

When we talked to students who told us these horrible stories, and we said, do you tell your parents? And they said, ‘never, my parents are dealing with enough. Why would I put this on them when they can't do something about it?’

Nic

From SBS Examines, I’m Nic Zoumboulis. Throughout this series, we’ve talked about the causes of racism, and its detrimental impacts on individuals and social cohesion more broadly. In this episode of Understanding Hate, we’re looking at how people of African descent are addressing racism within their own communities and between generations.

Nor Shanino

So for a 15 and 16-year-old to have to carry that byproduct of racism that we never get an opportunity to talk about... It is constant, a burden and overwhelming.

Nic

That’s Nor Shanino. He’s the co-founder of the Ubuntu Project, a not-for profit organisation. He said being the victim of racism as a young person drove him and many of his peers into doing community work.

Nor Shanino

What a lot of young people have done is they've gone off and dedicated their lives, literally, to undoing some of the impact that they were feeling and make sure it doesn't pass on to the next generation.

Nic

Nor said there’s been massive changes in how racism is viewed in his community within just a generation.

Nor Shanino

It was only when young people went and talked to legal aid and ended up getting connected to a lawyer, were able to make difference... You could see parents just being like, 'what, you're suing the police?' The parents were afraid of retaliation from the police, actual physical harm because of the reality and the world and where they came from.

Nic

Tigist Kebede is a trauma counsellor who works with young African Australians. She agreed there are differences and changes in the way African diaspora have felt the impacts of racism - something that's changing over time.

Tigist Kebede

Factors such as gender, class, faith, migration status, migration pathway, skin tone, all influence how racism is experienced and responded to. Older generations historically have experienced more overt and systemic racism. So things put in through law or public discrimination, whereas younger generations mostly disclose around subtle and everyday forms of racism.

Nic

Tigist said these different generational responses seem to now be converging due to anti-immigration sentiments and more overt racism.

Tigist Kebede

There has been a bridge between generations that has resulted in younger generations working with the older generations in tackling not only the experiences of racism, but the solutions towards racism. Young people are most influenced by older, young people. So they are playing roles in helping their younger siblings or younger community members in understanding not only what is happening to them, but how to access these supports.

Nic

Robiel Abraham is the co-founder of a youth led not-for-profit called ASPYA Foundation.

Robiel Abraham

We try to bridge between young people and the older generation. We work a lot with some of the older youth workers and social workers that are servicing our community. We try to relay that information that young people might not feel comfortable in sharing to older people.

Nic

Robiel said different generations can offer each other valuable support to help deal with racism, and he’d like to see more collaboration.

Robiel Abraham

Learning how to build that resiliency in the face of hate or racism is something that our parents could really teach our younger people as well too. If you know who you are, where you come from and your family's past and your history and things like that, there isn't anything that anyone can say that can make you think otherwise. Somebody can't tell you, 'you're worthless' because you know your story and perseverance and resilience of your family to get to where you are.

Nic

For young people who are growing up surrounded with ideas and cultures from the online world, there’s bound to be differences between generations. Here’s Nor Shanino again.

Nor Shanino

Young people grow up now and they're global citizens. They see the whole world literally as one place. So when you're having conversations with them, it is not only about throwing facts and correcting them. You've got to listen to them. They have to feel like they're being heard and they're much more willing to talk about ideas and go back and forth.

Nic

Robiel said there are benefits to being connected with a global community, like feeling inspired and hopeful.

Robiel Abraham

Part of that comes from being connected to the African diaspora across the world and hearing other people's experiences and build off that collective response to racism that might be happening in the US, UK, wherever else in the world. What it's birthed out of our community is a really courageous, strong, and resilient generation of young people.

Nic

This episode was produced and presented by Nic Zoumboulis. To find out more, visit sbs.com.au/sbsexamines

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