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'Everyone Reckons Racism Doesn’t Exist Here’: Black Australians Reveal Our Shameful Underbelly

'Everyone Reckons Racism Doesn’t Exist Here’: Black Australians Reveal Our Shameful Underbelly

They've opened up about the racial injustices they cop on a daily basis.

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Australia is one of the most multicultural countries in the world and it's one of the things we can be most proud about.

While there are many who will not bat an eyelid over racial or ethnic differences, there is a dark underbelly that exists in some places.

Black Aussies have opened up about their experience of growing up and living in modern Australia during the final episode of UNHEARD.

The documentary series dives into racial injustices seen across the country and looks at some of the systems in place that allow these transgressions to continue.

The people who took part in the episode say their experience of racism goes from the accidental and microaggressive to full-blown, overt attacks.

Mental health physician Dr Xavier Mulenga explained how many people suffer a 'death by a thousand cuts', meaning people of colour often experience loads of small incidents that leave them exhausted, broken and jaded.

Kaden is just 16 years old and he's already dealt with the brutality of unfettered racism.

He had an incident with another student at his school, where the argy bargy of school yard banter escalated to the point that the other pupil was making death threats against Kaden and his family.

Leaked text messages showed the teenage using the N-word like it was nothing and said he wanted to bring a knife in to stab the 16-year-old to death and kill his family.

Kaden told the documentary that 'everyone reckons racism doesn't exist here', but it does.

LADbible Australia

There was also testimony from 25-year-old Tanaka, who said the racist bullying he received at school pushed him to the brink where he tried to take his own life.

The UNHEARD episode explained how racism is one of the key causes of early-school leaving and drop out for people of African heritage.

A whopping 70 per cent of people experienced racism at school, however it often doesn't get reported to authorities or officials at the school.

Another issue that was explored in the episode was how the Australian media continued reporting that African gangs were going around Melbourne terrorising people and committing crimes across the city.

Australia's race discrimination commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, labeled some media reports as 'fear-mongering and racial hysteria'.

A study done by the Centre for Multicultural Youth and Monash and Melbourne university found young South Sudanese-Australians suffered increased racial abuse and felt police profiling was 'intensified' due to the 'disproportionate' media coverage.

The UNHEARD episode revealed a person in Melbourne is 25 times more likely to be assaulted by someone born in Australia than someone from the African diaspora.

To watch this episode and the five others in the UNHEARD series, head to Amazon Prime Video.

To support the fight against racial injustice visit ladbible.com/unheard

Featured Image Credit: LADbible Australia

Topics: Australia