Anti-Racism

10 Things To Watch To Learn About Black Oppression & Systemic Racism #BlackLivesMatter

Video essay with 10 recommended things to watch on streaming services to get started on learning about Black experience, black oppression and systemic racism.

101 Links to Black Writers and Voices

Links to work by black writers, journalists, scholars and other commentators in Australia in the context of Black Lives Matter.

'As I write this on 23 June 2020, the two scholars most cited and promoted on social media in the field of racism and privilege, are White... The promotion of their work over Black writers perpetuates the idea that White people understand racism best, and that only they can solve it. Dangerously, it suggests that racism actually has nothing to do with Black people.'

101 Links to Black Writers and Voices

This list of Indigenous authored work was created with the intention to ensure First Nations voices are cited and promoted on social media in discussions of racism and privilege. It is a non-hierarchical library of links to commentary on race and colonialism in Australia which highlights significant First Nations thought leaders and intellectuals.

30+ Ways Asians Perpetuate Anti-Black Racism Everyday

Article listing actions specifically for the Asian community.

'In doing DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) work, I’ve found it useful to actually name the detailed and insidious ways we all participate in oppressing each other.

6 Degrees Dictionary: A User's Guide to Inclusion

6 Degrees is a Canadian initiative that responds to rising nativism and exclusion through connection, artistic representation, online engagement and language. This co-created dictionary examines 12 words responsible for disagreement and misunderstanding, and recasts them to provoke and inspire.

6 Degrees Dictionary: A User's Guide to Inclusion - Videos

Three short videos on the 6 Degrees Dictionary. 6 Degrees is a Canadian initiative that responds to rising nativism and exclusion through connection, artistic representation, online engagement and language. The dictionary recasts 12 words typically responsible for disagreement and misunderstanding.

7 ways your organisation can start to uproot systemic racism in the workplace

Organisations everywhere are discussing how to uproot systemic racism from the workplace. Where should you start? This article from the World Economic Forum offers up 7 practical steps for building a more diverse and inclusive organisation.

A framework for action in response to moments of crisis and outrage

Working with vulnerable groups, especially groups of people who have been exposed to racial trauma, often also means working with moments of crisis arising from long-term injustices.

This blog post offers a framework for how to develop meaningful cultural actions with your affected audiences.

A Note on Call-Out Culture

Influential article on call-out culture and its performative nature.

'Especially in online venues like Twitter and Facebook, calling someone out isn’t just a private interaction between two individuals: it’s a public performance where people can demonstrate their wit or how pure their politics are.'

A real history of Aboriginal Australians, the first agriculturalists

Bruce Pascoe introduces his influential research in Australian history, which he wrote about in Dark Emu.

'In 2014 I wrote a book Dark Emu, which exploded the myth that Aboriginal people were mere hunters and gatherers and did nothing with the land. I wrote the book because I found it hard to convince Australians that Aboriginal people were farming.'

An open letter to reviewers, critics and editors

'Hello, lovely to meet you. I’m Cessalee: a Black woman, DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) consultant, director and performer, arts audience member, and advocate for a better industry – can we talk?'

'Comparing ... a play about a specific Asian community to another play ... from an entirely other Asian country tells me you’re not talking about the quality, talent or skill level ... you’re talking about the category you’ve created called ‘plays about Asian things I don’t understand'.'

Anti-Racism Kit

The Anti-Racism Kit is a resource designed for high school students, by high school students.

Anti-racism requires so much more than 'checking your privilege'

Article responding to the celebrity 'I take responsibility' pledges sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement.

'The mainstreaming of anti-racist discourse is causing many people to question their own position in the world. As welcome as this is, let’s not stop at self-reflection. Unlearning personal prejudices should coincide with undoing the structures, logics and economic arrangements that perpetuate global anti-blackness.'

Arts & Equity Toolkit

Case studies and resources for building equitable organisations, strengthening boards and advisory groups and creating partnerships and collaborations, including a sample partnership agreement. Also includes advice on evaluations and the pros and cons of different methods of obtaining feedback.

Arts and media reckon with racism and inequality amid Black Lives Matter movement

A round-up of global disruptions, resignations, apologies and calls for change in the arts and media in mid-2020 in response to COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and systemic racism.

'Inevitably, the ripples from these global protests are disrupting industries far from the epicentres of these urgent crises. Culture is shifting and we are witnessing reckonings across the screen industries, academia, publishing, journalism, music, food, fashion and visual art. '

Australia’s media has been too white for too long. This is how to bring more diversity to newsrooms

Article outlining ways to bring more diversity to Australian newsrooms, including offering increased training to CALD journalists, strengthening talent pipelines through better CALD networks, mentorships and events; improving CALD talent pipelines and consulting with people of colour. It also recommends undertaking and publishing regular diversity audits.

'The ABC and SBS publish regular diversity reports, and arguably, the very existence of these reports shows some progress is being made.'

Awake to Woke to Work: Building a Race Equity Culture

A comprehensive yet simple guide that contextualises the race outcomes and leadership gaps in the US social sector, and offers approaches for building a 'Race Equity Culture' in your organisation. Identifies equity cycles, investments, levers, vocabularies and and tools.

B.O.S.S. Calls Turner Prize Nomination ‘Extractive and Exploitative’

A statement from the Black Obsidian Sound System that calls out institutions, prize-culture and demands the rights to thrive in conditions that a nurturing and supportive - forging a better path ahead in the future for collaborations between institutions and collectives that practice social art.

Being Antiracist

Toolkit and analysis of Anti-Racism.

'Reflect on choices you make in your daily life (i.e., who you build relationships with, what media you follow, where you shop). How do these choices reflect being antiracist?'

Better Indigenous policies

This paper questions the idea of evaluation, arguing that conventional evaluation methodologies fail to comprehensively understand the full range of factors that contribute to the successful delivery of services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients. Consequently, there is a failure to understand how programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities can be delivered and evaluated in a framework of self-determination.

BFI diversity standards 'failing to tackle race discrimination in UK film industry'

Article on an evaluation of the BFI Diversity Standards in relation to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) participation after six years in operation by Dr Clive Nwonka from the London School of Economics.

'The research, conducted with the co-operation of the BFI, suggested that BAME participation in the industry remained considerably lower than other under-represented groups, particularly in behind-the-camera roles.'

Black Face

Overview of the history and contemporary expression of black face from the UK and the US.

'Popular contemporary ways of displaying blackface include: darkening your skin and especially your face; wearing clothes that you assume all black people wear and in a fashion that is mocking (think ‘ghetto’ or ‘thug’); throwing up obscure gang signs, or what you assume are gang signs, in order to ‘act black’; and depicting blackness in all its complexities as a caricature.'

Black Lives Matter in Australia: A Conversation with Professor Marcia Langton

Professor Marcia Langton reflects on the relevance of the Black Lives Matter movement in Australia, discussing the function of racialisation in a settler-colonial context, the relationship of Aboriginal struggle in Australia (against police violence, carceral systems, and land theft) to the detention of asylum seekers, and the value of transferring esoteric knowledge into public information.

Bystander Anti-Racism Project

A three-year project that looks at what people do when they witness racism - what actions they take, how likely they are to take action, obstacles to action and things that would facilitate action, as well as the impacts of taking action.

"There's two reasons why people don't speak up or speak out, our research shows. One is afraid of becoming a target themselves the second is because they say they didn't know what to say or do."

This resource offers campaign materials to encourage action.

Commissioning New Adventures: Building an Inclusive Process

Blog describing the commissioning process designed to increase diversity of scriptwriters in new series of the popular ‘Zombies Run!’ exercise game, first using ‘blind’ anonymous read-throughs to shortlist, then assessing writer bios to ‘promote’ submissions from under-represented groups.

'In every case where we felt our shortlist was unbalanced, we promoted extra submissions rather eliminating others. We worked by addition rather than subtraction.'

Community-Engaged Practice with Jade Lillie and Lia Pa'apa'a

Discussion of the book 'The Relationship is the Practice' edited by Jade Lillie and Lia Pa'apa'a which explores community engagement, collaboration, intersectionality, cultural safety, racial literacy, access and inclusion. Also links to the book.

Cracking the Codes: Power Analysis

An analysis of systemic inequality, putting bias in the context of wider history, identities, structures and institutions.

'The current conversation is not only shallow, but actually harmful. We continue to primarily focus on individuals, when institutional and structural inequities are the bigger problem.'

Creative Practitioners

Short film interviewing the eight UK and Australian practitioners in the INTERSECT peer mentorship, offering advice for institutions and artists of colour.

'While the programming of galleries, major art institutions supports diversity in terms of the art works and the artists that they programme, unfortunately behind the scenes it's very different. That type of diversity is not seen in staffrooms, in meeting rooms and in the board room.' Tian Zhang

Cultural Diversity and the Arts - Language and Meanings

A consideration of the language of diversity from the Arts Council of Ireland, including terms such as ‘cultural diversity’, ‘multiculturalism’, ‘interculturalism’, ‘discrimination’ and ‘racism’. Looks at contested terms and issues, such as the campaign of the Traveller community to be recognised as a separate ethnic identity, rather than being considered 'minority ethnic'.

David Olusoga: his Edinburgh television festival speech in full

In his *** lecture, *** presents his thesis that a generation of black and brown talent has been lost to the British media because media management did not support or invest in their careers.

'The recipients of that sort of investment are those whom managers and indie bosses can envisage one day doing their jobs. And in my experience those selected for such elevation tend to be carbon copies of the managers who champion their careers.'

Demonstrating Inclusive and Respectful Language

This is a basic guide to respectful and appropriate terminologies and spelling of language related to First Nations peoples.

Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity

A framework (also known as the 'Bennett scale') to describe how people experience and engage with cultural difference and become more competent intercultural communicators over time. Based on constructivist theory, the model offers six positions as a person's perception of cultural difference becomes more complex, moving from ethnocentrism to ethnorelativism.

The six stages are 'denial', 'defence', 'minimisation', 'acceptance', 'adaptation' and 'integration'.

Dismantling Racism Works - Action Tools

A selection of action tools developed in the US including the role of change teams and caucuses in race equity work, giving feedback, race equity principles for taking action, and a race equity tool for organisations in developing explicit goals.

Dismantling Racism Works - Analysis Tools

A selection of analysis tools and definitions developed in the US including race equity stages, dynamics of denial and desistance - including tactics of privilege and resistance, effective problem solving, how a movement is built, and the 'Barriers and Bridges' principles.

Diverse Book Finder

Focused on Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities in the US, this tool allows libraries to upload their catalogue of children's books for an analysis of the representation of different cultures. Crucially this is not only about WHO is represented, but also HOW they are represented, eg, as 'folklore' type tales, as stories of oppression and resilience, or if diverse characters are presented as living lives that are identical or interchangeable with another cultural group.

Diversity and Inclusion Learning from Diversity Council Australia

The Diversity Council Australia offers a suite of diversity and inclusion learning solutions including face to face and e-learning options.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

The British Council's global EDI Strategy, featuring three main objectives: an inclusive organisational culture; developing capability and leaders; and performance, impact and legal compliance, as well as key tools for achieving this.

Explainer: what is systemic racism and institutional racism?

Article that unpacks issues around systemic and institutional racism, after Joaquin Phoenix called out systemic racism in this BAFTA acceptance speech.

'“Systemic racism”, or “institutional racism”, refers to how ideas of white superiority are captured in everyday thinking at a systems level: taking in the big picture of how society operates, rather than looking at one-on-one interactions.'

For True Pay Equity, Start With These 3 Areas

Pay audits alone are not enough to reduce pay gaps; merit pay increases, starting salaries and bonus structures must all be adjusted too.

Gari Yala: Centreing the experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians at work

Gari Yala, which means ‘speak the truth’ in the Wiradjuri language, is based on a survey 1,033 First Nations workers across Australia. The report reveals Indigenous employees continue to experience significant workplace racism and exclusion and that racism is impacting wellbeing and job satisfaction.

The report also provides 'ten truths' for organisations to improve workplace inclusion for Indigenous staff.

Gary Foley: Advice for white Indigenous activists in Australia

First Nations historian, activist and leader, Gary Foley, explains the do's and don't's of white activism.

'If people are serious about wanting to become involved in the struggle for justice, the first thing you need to do is not go and talk to any blackfellas at all, really, you need to look in the mirror - you need to look at yourself, you need to look at yourself, you need to think hard and fast about who you are and make sure you haven't got psychological identity problems of your own.'

Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth

An introductory educational resource covering leading practices in how to support transgender and nonbinary people. Includes a helpful guide to what to do if you've made a mistake:
1. Listen - Stay in your discomfort and be willing to listen
2. Be Accountable - Remember, intention is not impact. The best apology is one that doesn’t make excuses or invalidate the other person’s feelings.
3. Commit to Do Better - Treat it as a learning experience.

How Capitalism Drives Cancel Culture

UK-based writer calls for us to view 'cancel culture' through both social and economic lenses.

"When the British Labour leader, Keir Starmer, caused offense by referring to Black Lives Matter as a “moment” rather than a movement, he announced that he would undergo implicit-bias training. It is an approach that sees bias as a moral flaw among individuals, rather than a product of systems. It encourages personal repentance, rather than institutional reform."

How intersectionality can help storytellers

Pearl Tan and Priya A Roy give a useful primer on intersectionality and explain how intersectional approaches can make for better stories and a more diverse industry.

While it deals primarily with the screen industry, it breaks down the concept of intersectionality into its historical roots and explores structural, political, and representational intersectionality - and what this means.

How to be a good Indigenous ally

Checklist of seven actions that non-Indigenous people can take to support Australian First Nations communities, including 'preference our voices' and 'be ok with not always being part of the conversation'.

'We need good allies. We are only three per cent of the Australian population. We can’t raise the profile of issues affecting us without our allies. But what does a good ally look like?'

How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Video in which Ibram X. Kendi introduces his ground-breaking book 'How to be an Antiracist'.

How to be Anti-Racist in the Arts

What does it mean to be an ally to people of colour? What does it mean to remove blackface from our streaming services? And what can the creative sector do to advance racial equity?

Diversity Arts Australia and the British Council launched the Creative Equity Toolkit with this timely conversation in partnership with Sydney Opera House.

How to Bring Your Cultural Identity to Work

Minority employees who share their race, ethnicity or nationality in meaningful ways with colleagues at work can lead to greater inclusivity and respect, according to research from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The study found that rich cultural-identity expression that moves beyond superficial discussions to reveal parts of the inner self connected to one’s cultural identity fosters closeness and increases the majority group’s learning.

How to Reimagine the World - Collaboration Principles for Artists & Social Justice Organizers

A breakdown of principles for creative collaboration and social justice covering inclusion, wellbeing, power, valuation, relationship building, methodology and cooperation.

How 'white fragility' reinforces racism

Robin DiAngelo unpacks her book White Fragility with clips and examples from movies and TV.

'I am not going to get to where I need to go from a place of white comfort. I'm going to have to get mighty uncomfortable in order to challenge that.'

Implicit Bias Module Series

Online course aimed at educators to understand and mitigate against unconscious bias.

Inc Arts Unlock - Anti-racism toolkit

The Unlock toolkit is a free comprehensive resource aimed at arts organisations. It contains over 100 actions that will help creative workplaces become more inclusive, and focuses on hiring, leadership, work and care.

Inclusive Pathways Framework

Report for the Australian Film, Television and Radio School looking at barriers to inclusion and ways to combat them.

'A key support that several consultees for this project mentioned was tracking opportunities for career progression and making them known to aspirants to kindle ambitions and find ways to address barriers.'

'There is a tendency in Australian arts practice to confine under-represented practitioners to ‘community arts’ rather than mainstream, professional content development. '

Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) fact sheet and comic

This fact sheet and comic is designed to provide education about copyright issues and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property rights in an accessible way. It is aimed at artists and audiences alike.

It’s time we made space for Australia’s lost dancers

An article that explores how gatekeeping, old-fashioned ideals and codifications of dance institutions and practices especially in ballet can create exclusionary boundaries. The author and interviewees provide perspectives on how to take important steps towards inclusivity.

I've been tempted by righteous anger against racists. It's not much help in changing society

A call to move the focus of the racial equity debate away from individual racism and towards structural racism.

'Blaming people may feel good but it won’t lead to structural change. There has to be a middle ground: of asking people to take responsibility and to step up as allies without alienating them by telling them how terrible they are first.'

Learning pattern: Centering Marginalised Knowledge

Developed by “Whose Knowledge?,” a global campaign recentering marginalised knowledges online, this "learning pattern" is designed for those who want to support marginalised communities add to Wikimedia projects. It offers critical questions, suggestions, and examples from experiences to illustrate lessons.

Justice Funders

A blog series featuring stories by thought leaders contributing to justice transitions in philanthropy. Designed to inspire the US sector to re-imagine and practice a new kind of philanthropy that redistributes wealth, democratises power and shifts economic control to communities.

Martin Parr steps down as artistic director of Bristol Photo Festival

After an 18-month campaign by Mercedes Baptiste Halliday, Magnum photographer Martin Parr steps down from his festival director role after failing to notice racist depictions in a photography book he edited.

'the photographer said he was “ashamed of my association with the book”, writing: “I must have seen the spread in question, but not logged its implication, an oversight that I deeply regret.”'

Maxine Beneba Clarke talks about her new book The Hate Race

Australian author and poet Maxine Beneba Clarke speaks about her memoir The Hate Race.

'I felt that it was important to write The Hate Race. I felt there was a gap in Australian history in terms of migration stories, particularly coming out of the 70s, 80s and 90s, post White Australia Policy. So I wanted to be able to tell the story of what that time was like growing up as a young child of colour in the Australian suburbs.'

Meet the Illustrator Diversifying Airbnb's Image

AirBnB hired an illustrator to diversify its imagery and branding. This article explores how design considerations can seem small compared to policies or features for tech companies, but they are learning the value of people imagining themselves in the product.

No diversity: Australian musical theatre award accused of overlooking non-white artists

Article on the criticism received by the Rob Guest Endowment due to the lack of diversity of its 2020 semifinalist list. The $50,000 award is Australia's most prestigious music theatre award and was criticised for announcing what appeared to be a completely white 30-person shortlist.

Some of the semifinalists issued a statement saying: “The 30 of us stand with artists and performers who are people of colour. We are uniting to listen, learn and actively be part of the solution.”

Nonprofit Executives and the Racial Leadership Gap: A Race to Lead Brief

This report explores the gaps between not-for-profit executive leaders of color and white leaders, and compares executives to staff in the US. It features findings from the Race to Lead survey of 4000+ across the American sector, including a secondary consultation focused on executives.

Notes on a Cultural Strategy for Belonging

A report outlining ‘a cultural strategy for belonging’ that centres the leadership, voices, storytelling, practices, and knowledge of marginalised peoples and communities in America. Offers resources, evidence, case studies, and a workshop module aimed at artists, organisers, cultural strategists, funders, among others.

Our anti-racism statement

A statement from the UK's Film and TV Charity, acknowledging that they have not done enough to recognise racism in the screen sector, and that it has affected their ability to provide support to everybody working behind the scenes in film and TV. The statement is a commitment of intent to be an anti-racist organisation and demonstrates this by allocating resources. A useful template to help leaders to set organisational mission statements.

"Our Stories, Our Knowledges" resource series

A resource series for marginalised communities working on knowledge production, featuring stories, lessons, tools and tips. Part 1: Decolonising Our Stories and Knowledges, Part 2: Transformative Practices for Building Community Knowledges, Part 3: Adding Our Knowledge to Wikipedia, Part 4: How to Ally and Be a Good Guest.

Partner Power

This 'Technique for Building More Authentic Community Partnerships Right from the Start' offers a model of consultation and collaboration used by the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History in the US to build an exhibition in collaboration with the community. Includes a video on conducting a meeting and worksheet with sample questions, using active listening and open-ended questions.

“It felt more equal...rather than appearing as though we were just trying to tick a box on community engagement.”

Peanut Butter, Jelly and Racism

The first in a series of short films from the New York Times looking into implicit bias (aka unconscious bias). It looks at the difference between racism and implicit bias and how associations are unconsciously made when we are are exposed to racial stereotypes through media, education and art.

Perth's Portside Review

Portside Review is an international literary journal publishing essays, short stories, and poetry for and from the regions bordering the Indian Ocean. Its principles include:
* Locating your own centre - to liberate from prize and market culture and emphasise community definitions of 'good' writing and art
* Foregrounding cultural and ethnic identity - beyond national borders
* Artist support & pay parity - no matter where an artist is located or how difficult the times

Podcast: The Black Woman’s Guide to Philanthropy

A podcast focusing on black women in philanthropy. Features the co-founder of BlackHer - an online platform inspiring Black women changemakers, an impact investing expert, CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and co-Director of the Donors of Color Network.

Policy change at Darlinghurst Theatre Company

Darlinghurst Theatre Company in Sydney makes a public commitment to:

'having, at minimum, 50% of all artists in our employ, every year, belonging to an Indigenous, Black or Culturally and Linguistically Diverse community and to having diversity of representation across our season and programming. This will include employment of playwrights, actors, directors and designers.'

Portes Ouvertes: Developing an Anti-Oppression Policy - Some things to keep in mind

A short guide and checklist for developing an anti-oppression policy in your community organisation. Developed by a Quebec-based anti-oppression leader, it covers assessing organisational strengths, identifying areas for improvement and where to focus trainings.

Power and Privilege in the 21st Century Museum

This accessible publication shares tactics for change emerging from the US Museums Association (MA) Transformers programme. It covers commentary from the MA community, and offers practical guidance for people who want to work in a more inclusive way in the sector.

Power Moves: Your essential philanthropy assessment guide for equity and justice

A comprehensive self-assessment toolkit from the US, that helps funders determine how well you are building, sharing and wielding power and identify ways to transform your programs and operations for lasting, equitable impact and justice.

Race Equality Guide

The British Council's guide to good practice in racial equality. It identifies racism and the ways in which it manifests globally; addresses the ways in which race and ethnicity sit within the Council's approach to equality, diversity and inclusion, and sets out actions and case studies for change, such as challenging stereotypes, addressing under-representation and communicating inclusion.

Race Equity Glossary

US glossary of terms used in race and educations equity discourses, includes sources and filters by 'concepts' and 'processes and tools'.

Race to Lead: Women of Color in the Nonprofit Sector

Drawing from the Race to Lead survey of 4000+ across the American not-for-profit sector, this report engages an intersectional analysis to examine how women of colour encounter more systemic obstacles than white women and men of colour in the sector.

Racial Equity Tools Glossary

The Racial Equity Tools Glossary defines a wide range of terms used in work to achieve racial equity and racial justice at every level, including board and senior management in systems, organisations and communities.

Racism in the UK film industry: what needs to change, and who needs to change it?

Six workers in and around UK film discuss racial inequality - and what is needed in terms of meaningful workplace changes in the screen sector.

Racism. It Stops With Me

Australian Human Rights Commission campaign and guide on how to conduct a conversation about racism, along with videos and other resources.

'The tips and conversation questions in this guide have been developed based on consideration of Australian and international research on anti-racism strategies, current Australian Human Rights Commission education resources and training guides, and human rights education principles and pedagogies.'

Re-Tool: Racial Equity in the Panel Process

A tool that provides effective strategies to intervene in ways that expand and empower collective work for racial equity in arts organisations, including sections on how to make your grant panel, application forms, recruitment process and board more racially diverse. It also includes a concise glossary of terms.

Read, listen, understand: why non-Indigenous Australians should read First Nations writing

This article makes the case for greater engagement with First Peoples literatures by non-Indigenous readers, and provides a reading list which could be a useful starting point for those who don’t know where to look. It is a helpful entry point for thinking about how to build new audiences for First Nations content.

Resourcing Black Lives

List of resources from the UK's Skin Deep.

'The struggle for black liberation in the UK, the US and globally must be rooted in protecting and resourcing strength and joy in black communities.'

Rob Guest Endowment cancels lucrative theatre prize over diversity controversy

Article on the cancelling of a $50,000 endowment for Australian musical theatre in 2020 amid criticism of the lack of racial diversity among the 30 semifinalists, including from the semifinalists themselves.

The semifinalists said "We fervently denounce the actions of the endowment, including but not limited to silencing POC and First Nations voices, misrepresenting us and our stance on the matter, and the lack of transparency that has occurred from within the endowment.”

Shifting the Balance

Survey of 200 of Australia’s leading arts and culture organisations measuring cultural and linguistic diversity (CALD) at the leadership level (39% of Australia's population is CALD).

'* Approximately half (51%) of the major cultural organisations had no CALD representation at the leadership level.
* Only 9% of the 1,980 leaders of our major cultural institutions are CALD Australians
* Non-CALD Australians are nine times more likely to occupy cultural leadership roles than CALD Australians'

Snacks and Punishment

Part of a New York Times series looking at implicit bias (aka unconscious bias) which presents research evidence that we can successfully correct for our unconscious biases, if we know about them.

Spot Racism Online

European Union project giving step-by-step guidance on how to report hate speech and racism online to social media platforms, media organisations and others.

'Spot Racism Online, the Practical Guide of the LIGHT ON Project, aims is to assist and encourage all Internet and social media users to end hate speech online, by providing information and suggestions on how to act against hate speech in an easy and safe manner. '

#Talk about Trayvon

A resource for white people encouraging them to have 'courageous conversations' among friends and family and on social media about the death of Trayvon Martin, on the fifth anniversary of his death. Includes prompts and scripts.

Talking about Race

Resources and links for anti-racism, self-reflection on racial identity and systems of oppression

Tara June Winch wins 2020 Miles Franklin award for her book The Yield: ‘It broke my heart to write'

Wiradjuri writer Tara June Winch talks about winning Australia's prestigious Miles Franklin literary award for her book The Yield.

"This is true, every historical violence was word for word. So the language is true, the history of the language was true, what colonisation did to that part of Australia is true. So there’s a lot of historical fact in it, that’s more my point of truth. You can learn a lot from it; I learned a lot from writing it.”

The Anti-Racist Glossary

Glossary from a Scotland-based collective with definitions based on literature and also experiences.

The Black Woman’s Guide to Philanthropy

An online guide designed to celebrate “Black women’s philanthropy,” and support the collective giving of Black women. Contextualises the American philanthropic context, offers definitions, shares tips for giving and other resources, outlines relevant issues and impact, and highlights inspirational leaders.

The Case for Reparations

Ground-breaking article from the US in which Coates argues for reparations to be paid to the African American community for legalised discrimination and the systemic extraction of wealth from them, which he argues continued beyond the emancipation of slaves in 1865. He uses the example of housing policy to demonstrate the ways in which African Americans were denied access to wealth and resources.

The Edit: Multicultural Media and COVID 19

A filmed panel discussion commissioned by the Melbourne Press Club about the role of multicultural news in covering COVID-19, but also the broader contribution of multicultural journalism to Australian media environments - with lessons that can be applied to the arts and creative industries.

What are the particular pleasures and challenges of reporting across languages? How can mainstream media better serve diverse communities?

The Equity Lab

An American leader in disrupting racial and ethnic inequity by engaging organisations in issues of race, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Offer trainings, deep engagement and fellowship programs - The Nexus Fellowship and Seeding Disruption - through honest guidance and partnership.

The far-right and other speculative fictions for Europe

A filmed talk and timelapsed graphic illustration of two events on political imagination leading up to the 2019 European Parliamentary Elections. One focused on the ‘identitarian’ narratives of the far-right in Europe, the other centred on a speculative fiction workshop on European futures.

The Inclusion Imperative: Why Media Representation Matters For Kids' Ethnic-Racial Development

A common sense media report authored by four academics with findings on how children make sense of, think about, and evaluate their own ethnicity-race (and the ethnicity-race of others) - and the effect of negative and positive media representations and depictions.

It uses evidence to chart a path towards understanding these influences - and concludes with general considerations for parents, media content developers and researchers.

The Music Industry Was Built on Racism. Changing It Will Take More Than Donations

In the aftermath of Blackout Tuesday when many in the music industry supported the Black Lives Matter movement, this article looks at the systemic racism built into the music industry, especially the lack of people of colour in leadership roles.

'The contemporary popular music industry also has racism baked into its foundation. The term R&B was coined, after all, to replace “race music.” The charts have always been mostly segregated'.

The sorry part is easy – why true racial diversity in the arts will take more than words

'Because the arts scene is often based on unspoken rules, networking and gatekeeping, there are generally no channels for complaint if you are typecast or overlooked as “inexperienced” based on race.'

The Story of Race: Dianne Jones and Odette Kelada

Ballardong artist Dianne Jones, anglo and Egyptian writer Dr Odette Kelada and Worimi educator and storyteller Genevieve Grieves on the story of race, intercultural collaboration and race literacy.

Kelada: 'People really want to talk about race, they just need to know how to do it.'

Jones: 'We start with the fact that race is a story, and it’s a story that hasn’t been told in a way that’s clear and visible.'

The Unusual Suspects: damaging for Filipino stories

Gloria Demillo writes about how not all representation is productive, and how damaging the impact of bad representation can be to a vulnerable group. The Unusual Suspects and its portrayal of Filipino domestic workers are harmful to ongoing work against worker abuse and exploitation.

Demillo argues that representation should come from community engagement, imploring creatives to consider: who is their real audience, and who should be telling the story?

“Theatre Can’t Miss This Moment”: An Interview with Audra McDonald

US theatre legend Audra McDonald speak on theatre, race and colour-blind casting.

'There are so few directors of color...a lot of the trouble would be solved if you had other people of color in the room saying, “Well, this is why you’re getting blowback right now,” or “Just open your mind to this,” or “Why are we not telling more of these people’s—our people’s—stories?” You have no one in the room thinking about that, because they can have the privilege to not have to think about that'.

‘There are no more excuses’: six industry insiders on Australian TV's problem with race

Creatives of colour discuss issues in the Australian screen industry.

Benjamin Law: 'On The Family Law, the team demonstrated that when gatekeepers make the excuse, “Oh, there aren’t enough actors of a certain background” – that’s bullshit. You just haven’t made the effort to find them. Yes, it’s harder than just calling up the same Caucasian faces that you already know. Taking the time is the only way you’re going to do it.'

'Pay the rent': Invasion Day rallies around Australia protest against 26 January celebrations

Coverage of the 2020 'pay the rent' Invasion Day protests on 26 January, the national holiday marking the arrival of the First Fleet of British ships to Australia.

“Whether you live here, or in Gippsland, or over in Meanjin in Brisbane, you live on Aboriginal land,” Gunnai and Gunditjmara woman Meriki Onus told the crowd in Melbourne. “You have an obligation to pay rent to the local blackfellas of that area.”

‘Tokenised, silenced’: new research reveals Indigenous public servants’ experiences of racism

Australian research into the experiences of Indigenous people in the workplace and why there's a consistent lack of representation at leadership levels.

'A deeper understanding about what racism is and how race works is a good place to start. Non-Indigenous colleagues and managers must commit to anti-racist workplaces. This requires managers to act on reports of racism - the continued failure to do so makes them complicit in perpetuating white supremacy.'

Towards Equity: A Research Overview Of Diversity In Australia’s Arts And Cultural Sector

This Australia Council report presents information for eight focus groups or demographics in the Australian community: First Nations people; cultural and linguistic diversity; people with disability; gender; LGBTIQ+ people; Australians living in regional and remote locations; children and young people; and older people.

This useful resource brings together published and unpublished data and research on representation in the arts and cultural sector in Australia.

Anti-Racism Touring Rider and Toolkit

The Anti-Racism Touring Rider and Toolkit is a resource co-ordinated by a group of 15 national touring theatre companies in the UK.

It offers a series of actions for anti-racist practice, giving a framework to establish the baseline of expectations and support between stakeholders on a touring production.

UK film sector failing to tackle systemic discrimination of BAME individuals

Summary article and link to research on the effectiveness of the British Film Industry Diversity Standards, launched in 2016, which require funded productions to meet diversity criteria, by Dr Clive Nwonka, from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

'Britain’s black and ethnic minority population remain excluded from key areas of the industry, with BAME representation still mostly located in secondary roles rather than as lead characters or in key production roles.'

Unseen. Unheard. Race and Disability - Black disabled experience in the UK's music industry

Black Lives in Music's 2021 survey revealed Black disabled people working in the UK music industry face pronounced challenges for opportunities and funding; 91% of survey respondents are dissatisfied with current levels of industry support.

The report includes calls to action to address this in the areas of Representation, Consultation and Commitment.

Utilizing the Arts to Support Racial Justice

One of the United States' leading audience development strategists Donna Walker-Khune in conversation with Michelle Taylor the founder of the artist management company, Passion Music Group.

This inspiring conversation has a lot of educational resources and traces the history and background of The Blacksmiths, a creative coalition committed to using the arts to support racial justice movements and engaging with people of colour and the broader community in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Voice, Agency & Integrity Report

The “Voice, Agency and Integrity” Report compiles issues, direct experiences and potential solutions to entrenched barriers that were identified in key-note industry addresses and expert forums at a creative sector symposium in Australia. The report calls on the arts to:

'• make CALD artists and creatives more visible
• measure diversity to increase diversity
• take affirmative action
• create an enabling environment
• support the role of DARTS
• ‘Make our own door’.'

Watch now: Using First Nations Protocols for Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts

Lucy Byrne with Patricia Adjei, Dr Paula Abood, Travis De Vries and Jake Smithers as they discuss the First Nations Protocols. Together they highlight the importance of everyone understanding these Protocols to ensure care of First Nations Intellectual Property through appropriate permissions, acknowledgement and consent. This discussion illustrates how everyone can be an ally in holding these Protocols up to accomplish safe consultation and consent when using First Nation stories & knowledge.

We recognise racism on the football pitch. Why do we fail to see it in the workplace?

Nels Abbey on the importance of acknowledging the existence of workplace racism. The article also describes common types of workplace racism.

We shouldn’t generalise about ‘racism’. This movement is about fighting anti-black racism

Examines the danger of decentring black experience in the Black Lives Matter movement to a more general 'anti-racist' movement.

'Anti-black racism is historically one of the most lethal racism there is. No one has to inherit the combined traumatic history of colonialism, slavery and racial exclusion the way black people do. The mere weight of this history has a racialising and chattering effect on those who carry it that is hard for any of us, including other racialised people, to comprehend.'

What is organizational culture – and how can it help promote anti-racist practices?

"How does culture manifest itself in your organization now? What culture practices can you aspire to this year to make your organization more inclusive? And how can you determine what your culture is today so you can continue to evolve tomorrow?" The article explore these ideas and offers up actionable solutions.

What is Systemic Racism?

An 8-part video series from the US on how racism shows up in our lives across institutions and society: Wealth Gap, Employment, Housing Discrimination, Government Surveillance, Incarceration, Drug Arrests, Immigration Arrests, Infant Mortality.

Around 1 minute each.

What the Author of Me and White Supremacy Wants You to Know About Anti-Racism Work

Interview with the British author Layla F Saad about her 2020 bestseller and her viral Instagram 28-day journalling challenge #meandwhitesupremacy challenging white people to learn about their complicity in white supremacy.

'The act of journaling alongside it really requires you to look only at yourself and to take self responsibility for the ways that you have had racist thoughts, have racist beliefs, done racist things, even when you weren’t meaning to.'

When Calling Out Makes Sense

Article looking at calling in and calling out, the legitimacy of rage in the face of oppression and the role of power in call out culture. The article responds to an earlier viral article by Ahmad promoting call ins as an alternative to call outs.

'When we insist that all of these conversations must remain in the private sphere, we are insisting that accountability is always a private matter. The history of our movements very clearly shows the opposite is often the case.'

White Fragility

The 2011 article in which Robin DiAngelo introduces her theory which became her best-selling book.

'White Fragility is a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defensive moves. These moves include the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium.'

White People Are Noticing Something New: Their Own Whiteness

Article on white people in the US becoming aware of their racial identity for the first time.

'For a long time, many white people assumed it was our due, as the majority, to encounter various racial others and marvel at the exotic things they ate, built or wore. Now we can go online and find people of color doing the gawking, offering jokes and anthropological scrutiny about white people’s underseasoning food, mistreating potato salad or eschewing washcloths.'

White people say they want to be an ally to Black people. But are they ready for sacrifice?

Article exploring the cost to well-meaning white people of true racial equity, and whether they would are willing to pay it.

'Neither the sudden compulsion toward acts of kindness, nor a genuine concern for the experiences of people of color, constitute true allyship...Real allyship enacted by White Americans, with a clear objective to make equitable the lived experiences of individuals across racial lines, means a willingness to lose things.'

Whitewashed: why does Australian TV have such a problem with race?

Discussion of representation in Australian TV, from the awful stereotypes of the 90s, like Neighbours' first non-white family, the Lims, being accused of eating a dog, to shows that got it right, such as Gary Foley on A Country Practice.

'Crucially, Foley says, he was allowed to write his character himself. “[Creator] Jim Davern rung me up and asked me if I was interested,” Foley told Guardian Australia. “I said I was only interested if I could write my own character and my own dialogue.”'

Why All Parents Should Talk With Their Kids About Social Identity

A survey conducted by the University of Chicago and the team behind ‘Sesame Street’ found that most parents don’t talk with their kids about aspects of social identity, such as race, class, gender and religion. This NPR episode looks at why parents can be scared to answer kids’ questions like ‘why is that person darker than me?’ or ‘why is that person wearing that hat?’.

Why So Many Organizations Stay White

Assuming that discrimination is a rare or exceptional event may hinder attempts to decrease racial inequality.

This article discusses what can be done to break patterns of organisational segregation and unequal distribution of resources.

Will we get there hire by hire? Reflections on executive leadership and transition data over 15 years

This report reflects on four studies of not-for-profit executive leadership in 2001, 2006, 2011 and 2015 in America. It reveals minimal change in leadership demographics and dynamics, raising concern about whether the sector is intentional enough in aligning leadership aspirations with reality.

Winnie Dunn on bringing marginalised voices to the centre

Writer, editor and manager of Sweatshop Western Sydney Literacy Movement Winnie Dunn spoke at the launch of Diversity Arts Australia's Voice, Agency & Integrity report.

'The problem is that the Australian Arts sector is dominated by a cultural perspective where excellence is synonymous with Whiteness. It is a deep systemic issue of racism. I mean, that’s how Chris Lilley got to make multiple TV shows in Blackface and Brownface.'

Workplace Discrimination: Fairwork Factsheets

Australian Government factsheets on workplace discrimination, adverse action, who is protected by discrimination laws, remedies and penalties for unlawful discrimination.