Charlie Perkins Civil Rights Activist

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Charles Nelson Perkins was an inexorable activist who sought justice and equality. He influenced the succession of Aboriginal liberties leading various constitutions that supported Indigenous freedom and rights. The extent and description of his influence will be explored throughout this essay concluding his impact on the referendum that enables Aborigines citizenship and government.
Charlie Perkins was an influential Aboriginal rights activist, who relentlessly fought for aboriginal equality upon the constant realisation of inequity, cruelty and discrimination inflicted upon his race. On his arrival back to Australia in 1957, after venturing to England and successfully playing for Everton, his Australian soccer career culminated after captaining …show more content…

At this Time Perkins was one of two part-Aboriginal students at Sydney’s University the other being Gary Williams, Perkins would later be the first indigenous to graduate tertiary education. Whilst completing his third year at university Perkins formulated a group that would expose the aboriginal cause: The Student action for Aborigines (SAFA). Inspired by the American civil right freedom riders, thirty students devised a bus tour to segregated areas of western and coastal New South Wales. The intention was to draw a significant amount of publicity to the inhumane Aboriginal conditions including their health and education. They encouraged the resistance of the social discrimination barriers and constantly voiced the injustice Aborigines were accustomed to. The freedom ride travelled to Gulargambone, Kempsey, Bowraville and Moree, the students were exposed to the realistic confinements of Aboriginal people in those communities. Appalled by their treatment students decided to document their journey and expose the situation to a broader spectrum of people. The severity of racism in country towns was now uncovered. The most controversial act of resistance executed by the riders was in the town of Moree where segregation was liberally practiced, it was there that they chaperoned Aboriginal children into the pools as a sign of resistance. The exposure and awareness raised by the Freedom riders, in reference to the inequality indigenous people endured, was phenomenal gaining recognition throughout Australia and internationally in the New York

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