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Australian Freedom Ride confronts racism
seen in Green Left Weekly - 20.02.2005 13:14
A Freedom Ride bus trip by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students of Sydney University has found crass racism in northern and north-western New South Wales.
The trip began in Sydney on February 12 to retrace the steps of a 1965 Freedom Ride for Aboriginal rights. A participant said the experience so far had been �incredible� and that they had encountered �racism and segregation, as well as community programs and organising�.
A report in the �Green Left Weekly� describes how
- an Aboriginal man was not allowed on a long-distance bus despite a valid ticket and a vacant seat;
- an Aboriginal woman was told not to take her pillow on the bus as it �might carry head lice�;
- Aboriginal mothers are not allowed to take prams into a supermarket, while non-Indigenous woman can;
- some people still live in makeshift tin houses, not too different to what the original Freedom Riders saw in 1965.
Aboriginal leader Michael Anderson* said, �conditions are worse than what they were in the �60s. The only difference is the style of homes and we�ve got running water. But there are no jobs and no education.�
For the full story go to  http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2005/616/616p3.htm.
* http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Michael+Anderson+Aboriginal&btnG=Google+Search
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