People cannot be bystanders and wait for others to act when it comes to truth-telling anymore, journalist Narelda Jacobs says, declaring that "allyship takes action".
Speaking at the Reconciliation Breakfast in Boorloo on Wednesday — the same day Kerrupmara Gunditjmara man Travis Lovett completed a 900km Walk for Truth by meeting the Prime Minister in Canberra — Ms Jacobs challenged Western Australian Premier Roger Cook to follow through on commitments around truth-telling and racism.
She called on the Premier to "make good a previous commitment he has made to truth-telling", arguing that while many people are willing to embrace the truth, others remain in denial.
"Travis Lovett's yarns with locals on his walk for truth had folks in tears, not realising massacres had happened in their backyards or that stolen wages had happened, leading to intergenerational poverty," Ms Jacobs said.
"Once Australians understand the past, it has to help folks understand the present and the future. Surely, then we will stop hearing that thing we hear all too often: 'Aboriginal people really need to do more to help themselves.'
"Surely, once Aussies know the truth, they'll look inwardly with deep reflection and ask, what can I do to help?"
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Racism ignored by the privileged
Ms Jacobs told the crowd the scourge of racism is something the "privileged don't see, and the media doesn't report".
"It's in our institutions, our systems; it's on our streets, and once you see it, you can't unsee it, and you realise it's everywhere," she said.
The Noongar woman then pointed to a series of recent examples she said highlighted the realities of racism towards First Peoples in Australia.
"It's no charges being laid over the supermarket death of Kumanjayi White," she said.
"It's booing at Anzac Day Welcomes.
"It's the 13-year-old girl catching a train in Perth who ends up being arrested by an off-duty officer."
Mr White — a 24-year-old disabled Warlpiri man — died in police custody last year. On Tuesday, NT Police announced no charges would be laid against the two officers involved.
In April, National Indigenous Times highlighted video footage of a 13-year-old Aboriginal girl being pinned to the floor by an off-duty WA Police officer. WA Police told this publication the matter remains under investigation.
Ms Jacobs noted mainstream media outlets only reported on the incident after the video had gone "viral".
"And then," she said, "it came with the headline: 'Teen Charged with punching off-duty police officer sparks racism debate'.
"Did she spark the racism debate?"
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Ms Jacobs, a veteran broadcaster, also addressed the alleged terrorist attack during the January 26 Invasion Day rally, saying both the delay in it being treated as a terrorist attack and the time it took officers to respond were further examples of racism.
"Mobs should be able to gather on our day of mourning without the risk of being harmed," she said.
"This was someone who allegedly wanted to cause harm. The premier said it could have been a mass casualty event. That accused is the first person to be charged in WA with a terrorism offence, but had it not been for community vigilance, would the charges have even been laid? Would the incident have even been recorded?"
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On social media, Premier Roger Cook said he was committed to "calling out hate when I see it".
"To always reiterating the importance of mutual respect. To always being willing to listen," he said. "Because reconciliation is a shared responsibility that belongs to us all."
Mr Cook said reconciliation was the responsibility of all West Australians, announcing further planning for the 2029 WA Bicentenary would include truth-telling and reconciliation initiatives.
