I wrote this on 26 January this year as I reflected on how different parts of our Australian community might and do remember the events signified by 26 January 1788.
It seems to me that I have a lot to learn.
Things I was not taught at school. Things
my white privilege didn’t want to see.
But now I’ve caught a glimpse.
Don’t look away. See the pain.
The dispossession. The hurt. The anger.
The reminders that this collective not seeing
has been going on for a long time.
Conveniently so.
Don’t look away.
Sit with it. In some small way connecting
with the the pain. And yes, some small way
is probably the best we can do. Empathy though
needed is not the same as lived experience.
And yes, pain. Pain felt daily by many of our
First Nations Peoples. Pain that white australia
is just not prepared to enter into. For that would
require facing the demons of our past.
Don’t look away.
You won’t find the answers. This is
complicated.
You won’t find the answers. At least
not on your own.
But don’t look away. You might just find yourself part of the solution.
This beautiful artwork was created by Charlotte Allingham and has been paid for. I was first introduced to Charlotte and this image in a post from 26 January by Tara Moss.
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