Father and son Joshua and Ethan Eggington, also known as Flewnt and Inkabee, a Noongar Wongi hip-hop duo from Western Australia, have faced significant racist backlash after posting a photo of themselves with the Aboriginal flag during their stint on hit tv show America's Got Talent.
The father-son duo impressed both audiences and judges on the show but encountered a storm of negative comments online following their return to Perth.
Flewnt's photo, captioned "West Coast 2 West Coast," was intended to showcase the pair's pride in their Aboriginal heritage.
However the response was marred by racist comments, including offensive references to burning the flag.
"I didn't feel upset or hurt; I felt anger because I was trying to demonstrate how proud I was as an Aboriginal person," Flewnt told the ABC.
Despite the harsh criticism, Flewnt chose to keep the post online and the negative comments visible.
"I think it's important that we hold up a mirror to Australia and say, 'this is you'," he said.
Flewnt believes this backlash reflects deeper issues within Australian society regarding the representation of Aboriginal culture.
The hip-hop star said he discussed the incident with his son, focusing on building resilience and pride.
"I think you've got to make them proud of who they are," Flewnt told the ABC.
He said despite the offensive remarks, the supportive comments from allies and members of the Aboriginal community have been uplifting.
"To see my people and allies defend our culture, that gives me the greatest of hope," he said.
The controversy has not deterred Flewnt from his mission.
He remains committed to his community work and using his platform to address these issues.
"It lights a fire in him (Inkabee) and he just goes off and writes crazy and comes out with better music," Flewnt said.
Through these challenges, he continues to inspire and advocate for positive change.
"To see my people, and allies, jump in there to defend myself, to defend our culture, our right to display our flag proudly, that gives me the greatest of hope," Flewnt said.
"And it gives me the inspiration to want to keep doing what we do."
