Racism by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

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There are many races in Australia and people keep being racist just because one’s skin is darker than others, people should stop making others miserable and live their own way. There will always be different races in Australia. In Racism, the poet wants to show how the white people discriminate and racist towards Aborigines or black people. [1]

Poetry

Racism

Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Stalking the corridors of life,

Black, frustrated minds

Scream for release

From Christian racist moulds.

Moulds that enslave

Black independence.

Take care! White racists!

Black can be racists too.

A violent struggle could erupt

And racists meet their death.

Colour, the gift of nature

To mankind,

Is now the contentions bone,

And black-white hatred sustains itself

on the rotting, putrid flesh

That once was man. [2]

Author

Oodgeroo Noonuccal (/ˈʊdɡəruː ˈnuːnəkəl/ UUD-gə-roo NOO-nə-kəl; born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska was an original Anglo-Australian, her father was a Quandamookarom, the Noonuccal Clan, while her mother was of the Peewee clan from inland Australia. She was born on November 3rd, 1920, Australia and also well known as Kath Walker, an Aboriginal Australian writer, political activist, artist and educator, who campaigned for Aboriginal rights. As an Aboriginal woman, Noonuccal has a strong connection to her sand and water Country and also her heritage and culture. Her first book to be published is poetry, We Are Going (1964). [3] [4] [5]

Racism Issue

Two techniques used throughout this poem, contrast and metaphors as this is considered effective to portray the conflict between those who are being discriminated and oppressed, black people and the ones who are racist, whites. The poet distincts between blacks and whites as in, "white-black hatred sustains itself", which means either blacks and whites are negatively inclined, which is not far from the truth.

Unlike other poems, the metaphor in this poem is not used to show the black and white people, hence the words “black-white" in the first line writes that "black, frustrated minds" are stalking the corridors of life. The unseen metaphor to describe black people showing that they have to walk through "corridors of life" showing that they are being oppressed, pushed into a single way of life.

The phrase "Black, frustrated minds/Scream for release/From Christian racist moulds." can also relate to the fact that black people having been oppressed in their entire lives, are "Screaming for release" from their "Christian racist moulds". Meaning, white people have been shaping the way black people think, as well as live their lives. [6]

References