Reflections on BlackLivesMatter In Australia

This project seeks to explore variations to this study question: What does the #BlackLivesMatter Movement mean and signify for Blac/k people in Australia? In doing this we are seeking to hear from experiences of Blac/k people in Australia, reflecting on the global events inspired by the #Blacklivesmatter movement and how these protests have informed their lives.

 Research Design

The study employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies for data collection and analysis. Data was collected through surveys and questionnaires which developed through Qualtrics. Participants filling the survey were invited to participate in individual interviews which were conducted online via Zoom. Participants were recruited predominantly through Social Media advertisement such as Facebook and through multicultural organizations that work directly with black people and their families.

Why is the research important?

There are many stories about what it means to be Australian. To accommodate the diversity of Australian culture and the subjectivity of each experience, a significant re-imagining of the Australian community is required to include the "black experience". This study is appropriate and timely given the current global movement about #BlackLivesMatter and its impact on Black people globally and Aboriginal and Torres strait Islander people in Australia. It will help formulate a research outcome which documents how Black people in Australia experienced the global reckoning of racial consciousness through #BlackLivesMatter Movement and will make a significant contribution to knowledge on the discourses of race and racism in Australia.

Research Team

• A/prof Kathomi Gatwiri (CI)
• Dr Marcelle Townsend-Cross (CI)