The creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights helped pinpoint the discrimination of many Indigenous peoples around the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was made after World War II, in 1948, to prevent any similar events. When this was created it showed how, in many countries around the world, Indigenous people had little to no rights in comparison to others. Thus, the Civil Rights movement was created. Many Indigenous people stood up for their rights and protested for equality. In the USA, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white person resulting in the Montgomery Bus Boycott and, in Australia, workers on Wave Hill went on strike to demand equal pay and land rights. These events eventually lead to a change in rights for the Indigenous peoples of the nation. The Australian Civil Rights movement originally began as a response to the US Civil Rights movement, which resulted in changes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders regarding equality and land rights, however, not all inequalities have been resolved and there are continuing efforts to implement further change and reconciliation.
The Civil Rights movement in America was a long and hard journey that ended in success. There were many activists that participated and, through media coverage, made a big impact on the world. Renowned activists include the Little Rock Nine, Martin Luther King Jr. and the Freedom Riders. Another activist was Rosa Parks, who refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. At that time, this was an intolerable act as buses had a strict segregation policy which required African-Americans to stand for white people. Rosa Parks was arrested, and this sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The initial event occurred on December 1st, 1955; this was around the time that equality was demanded by the African-American community. The Montgomery Bus Boycott started the same month as the arrest and lasted for 381 days, only ending when the US Supreme Court ordered the City of Montgomery to end segregation. The purpose of this strike was to protest for the end of segregation on public transport, and in general, between African-Americans and white Americans. The American Civil Rights movement was an immense factor that led to the Australian Civil Rights movement, the media coverage and success of the African-Americans inspired Indigenous Australians to become activists.
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were inspired by the American Civil Rights movement, and were prompted to become activists and protest for their rights. Some events that occurred and activists who participated in the Civil Rights movement in Australia include the Australian Freedom Riders, the Yirrkala Bark petitions, the Wik decision and Eddie Mabo. Another major event was the Wave Hill walk-off. Vincent Lingiari led the Gurindji people on a strike of Wave Hill station as a response to the British Vestey Company’s refusal to pay them equal wages and as a protest for land rights. The initial walk-off occurred on the 23rd of August 1966 and ended in 1973 after a 7-year strike. This event brought awareness to the issues of land rights and discrimination. In 1967, Vincent Lingiari and Gurindji leaders petitioned for the traditional Gurindji land, this was refused by the governor-general. This strike occurred to protest for the equal payment of aborigines and white workers, and for the Gurindji’s rights to traditional land. This event and many others were protests to fight for land rights across Australia, and succeeded in changing the rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
As a result of the Civil Rights movement in Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders were successful in achieving change. Some changes that occurred were the 1967 referendum, the change in land rights and the reconciliation effort by government leaders. The Wave Hill walk-off was a key event that led to the recognition of land rights for Indigenous people. In 1975, two years after the Wave Hill walk-off ended, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam poured earth into Vincent Lingiari’s hands, which symbolised 3300 square kilometres of land for the Gurindji people. In 1976, the Frazer government passed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act which granted land title to Indigenous tribes including the Gurindji people, however, mining companies still negotiated for leases with state governments without consulting the traditional owners. The Tent Embassy was another protest for land rights and compensation for lost land. Tents were set up outside Parliament to keep Aboriginal rights in the public eye. Each time they erected the embassy, their demands were rejected, and they were removed by police. This occurred until land rights were changed. The Civil Rights movement in Australia has provided change for the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders but there are still injustices that many believe need to be rectified.
The US Civil Rights movement inspired the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia to start a movement of their own, resulting in many successful protests which have secured land rights and equality for Indigenous peoples, yet there are still inequalities that need to be resolved in our society. The US Civil Rights movement consisted of many key events such as the March on Washington, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Little Rock Nine and the Freedom Rides, which achieved a lot of success and media coverage, this inspired many to stand up for their rights. The Australian Civil Rights movement consisted of many events such as the Wave Hill walk-off, the Australian Freedom Rides, the Yirrkala bark Petitions, the Wik Decision and the Mabo vs Queensland court case, which protested for equality and land rights. As a result of these events, Australia has implemented changes such as: the successful 1967 Referendum which allowed Aborigines to be counted in the census, the recognition of land rights in the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976, the Native Title Act was made law in 1993 and there were speeches made by Prime Ministers, such as Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating, to achieve reconciliation. There are still injustices in our society, such as the unpaid compensation for the Stolen Generations, but there are also continuing efforts to achieve reconciliation and further change.
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