I had to be Aboriginal in a public way: Pat Eatock

Auntie Pat Eatock had never identified herself publicly as an Aboriginal person, but when a neighbour began spouting racist talk she said: “Hey, hey, you can’t say that, I’m Aboriginal”. She soon found herself isolated in her neighbourhood, but realised that she had to stand up for herself as an Aboriginal person. In the end, it was the local Communist Party branch who stood beside her when she needed help.

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Keywords: Identity; racism; values; organisations; change, attitudes