Over the past few weeks the AFL has celebrated Sir Doug Nicholls Round, which culminated for us in Marn Grook at the SCG.
Ahead of the match our players ran out in #RacismNOTWelcome t-shirts to stand in solidarity against racism.
The t-shirts are part of a community-led initiative which aims to acknowledge the existence of racism, validate people’s lived experiences, and normalise conversations about racism whilst igniting change.
Street signs #RacismNOTWelcome can be found in some council areas across Sydney, while our friends at Addi Rd are strong advocates within the Inner West Multicultural Network in sharing this message.
Addi Road CEO Rosanna Barbero praised the Swans for their courage in making a stance against racism, and spoke with enormous pride as the Swans trained in their t-shirts before their Round 11 match against Richmond.
"The #RacismNOTWelcome campaign was started by multicultural communities, and was started because we wanted all councils throughout the country, and together with the Australian people, to speak in union and say ' that racism is not welcome'," she said.
"It was a historic day because it was the first time that a football team or sporting team were courageous enough to wear the #RacismNOTWelcome t-shirts.
"To me, they're the true champions - because champions inspire their fans and inspire a nation. That's what they've done."
Meanwhile, Cool Australia has developed a range of resources to help parents and teachers have conversations with kids about racism.
The Final Quarter Education Resources, – created in partnership with Shark Island Productions – are based on the powerful Australian documentary which focuses on the final years of the career of Bloods Legend Adam Goodes.
The resources include 52 curriculum-aligned lessons for young people in years 5-12 aimed at supporting parents and teachers to investigate themes of racism, privilege, truth-telling, cultural pride, resilience, values, and dignity.
More than 5000 Australian teachers have already accessed these resources, helping students learn about the importance of rejecting racism in all its forms and about taking responsibility for their words, actions, and attitudes towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Cool Australia’s The Final Quarter Education Resources were designed in consultation with experts in human rights, reconciliation, and psychology to promote educational safety and cultural awareness.
The resources can be accessed for free via the Cool Australia website: https://www.coolaustralia.org/the-final-quarter-curriculum-resources/
