From the Principal
Following the recent confronting scenes of the death of George Floyd, an African American US citizen, and the subsequent protests and ensuing violence and destruction across numerous US cities, I found myself quickly and I believe, rightfully, condemning the inherent racism that lies at the heart of the issue; however, what took more time was for me to step back and recognise the parallels that still exist in Australia today.
Racism and separating someone on the basis of their skin colour or cultural group is abhorrent to me, and whilst I have been protected from experiencing it directly due to my background, I have far too often witnessed it happening to others and seen its devastating impact.
For Indigenous Australians, the reality is that they are regularly still confronted with racist attitudes, stereotypes and victimisation. Often this is through a lens and narrative that remains unchallenged and one that is built upon lack of understanding, selected historical perspectives and an unwillingness to embrace the challenging truth of our past.
One of the recent Reconciliation Week themes was based on truth telling. Until we can fully confront the truth of the death and dispossession of Indigenous Australians from their lands, the Cammeraygal land that our School is situated on today, then we will struggle to move forward together.
Whilst we look on in horror at the footage of a man being knelt on to the point of his death, we must also stop and recognise the ongoing pain and tragic loss through Indigenous deaths in custody, along with the statistics which demonstrate Indigenous Australians make up 29% of our prison population, whilst only representing 3% of the population.
It may not surprise you that I believe one of the key factors in us moving forwards together is education. I have seen a significant shift in my career as an educator. We are slowing waking up, we are becoming more open to the truth, we are starting to tell the history of our country from more than one perspective, we are wanting to connect with and understand Indigenous culture. And who do I see leading the way – our youth!
Over the past week, students in all sections of the School have explored some of the important issues surrounding National Reconciliation Week. By acknowledging this significant week within our shared history and engaging with events celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge and culture, we hope that students will better understand the journey towards Reconciliation.
I have also been pleased to note our regular Acknowledgement of Country in our assemblies at Redlands along with a genuine desire of our staff and students to learn more about Indigenous culture. I was so impressed to learn of our initiative to take all our Year 9 students to Arnhem Land this year. And whilst, as I write this, I am saddened that the group would have been experiencing that program right now, we still are hoping that it may be able to run in Term 4.
So as I continue to struggle with the destruction of racism in our world and in our own backyard, I remain filled with hope for our future together and inspired by the possibilities that lie ahead.
As Nelson Mandela said, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of their skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
This week we have also celebrated the 136 year history of Redlands during Heritage Week. This year marks two significant milestones in our School’s history – 135 years of the Preparatory School, one of the oldest continuously open Preparatory Schools in Sydney, and 30 years of the Junior Campus. On Friday students will share in an online assembly and enjoy a video from our Archivist, Marguerite Gillezeau which features these two major milestones, as well as outlining how Redlands has been impacted by global events over the past 136 years. The video highlights parallels with the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1919 and the COVID-19 world of today, and outlines how Redlands students supported the war effort during World War I and World War II, both in terms of fundraising and active service.
Mr Stephen Webber
Photo caption: Students across the School participated in National Reconciliation Week activities, learning about building respectful relationships between Indigenous Australians and other Australians.