This is due to her ability to be seen and heard, a trait we should celebrate in black women. Price is an undoubtedly powerful black women whose opinions on Invasion Day have affiliated her with a member of the overtly racist One Nation political party. Price was speaking about us, not with us when she said the date of Australia Day should not be changed. The exploitation came in the form of Jacinta Price. While I hold many women from my community in the highest esteem, this year I saw the power these women have being exploited. Of course, strong black women lead our community and broader Australia with not only the diversity of their experiences, but also their voices and opinions. They encompassed mother to daughter, calm to dominant, Aunty to survivor, performer to observer, and did it all while being both black and white. The skills of these women are the result of having to live in many different worlds. “Leader” doesn’t even begin to encapsulate the cleverness of these women. Their ability to navigate through complex and adverse situations with the tenacity and diplomacy worthy of Queendom is unrivalled in a world where “who you know” and “who your daddy is” qualifies as leadership status. These women had leadership qualities equalled by none. And after university, it was a mentor who had always held me to the highest standard and never accepted complacency or laziness. In university, it was my mum who believed I was good enough to do a combined physics/maths degree. In high school, it was my history teacher who convinced me I was good enough to go to university. I’m sure it doesn’t come as a surprise that Yarni was not the last Aboriginal woman to help me get here. I am six months off from submitting my thesis for a Masters of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Advanced) from Australian National University. Fast forward 20 years and I am the first Indigenous person in New South Wales to obtain a double degree in maths and physics from the University of Newcastle.
0 kommentar(er)
