Social Justice

The history of people of African descent Australia dates back to the arrival of Anglo-Celtic settlers in 1788. The state of Indigenous-black relations in Australia today is influenced by historical discourses of anti-racism and Indigeneity, shaped by experiences of genocide and slavery. The historical contributions of people of African descent in Australia are often overlooked. Despite a long-standing presence, their representation in the national narrative and curriculum is minimal. This omission reflects the influence of the former ‘White Australia’ policy, which continues to impact people of African descent in contemporary Australian society.

Even though the Racial Discrimination Act of 1975 effectively put an end to the White Australia policy by making it illegal to discriminate against migrants based on race, the negative impact of the White Australia policy still affects people of African descent in today’s Australian society. This has led to the prevalent structural discrimination, especially the prevalent judicial injustices manifesting in various forms, including racial profiling, disproportionate rates of detention, lack of adequate legal representation, and systemic biases within the judicial system

Our Key Interventions in W.A include

Static & Mobile Legal Clinics

Empowerment Through Action aims to establish community-based legal clinics across the 9 regions in Western Australia with a duty lawyer in each (Gascoyne, Goldfields–Esperance, Great Southern, Kimberley, Mid-West, Peel, Pilbara, South West, Wheat belt) and mobile legal support clinics to offer. Offer free legal advice, representation, and education on legal rights for African Australian youth and their families.

Mentorship Programs

Through the mentorship programs, we aim to connect African Australian youth with mentors who are legal professionals, community leaders, and former program beneficiaries. This will be achieved through pairing the youth with Pair youth with mentors for guidance and support through legal challenges, organizing regular mentorship meetings to discuss progress, setting goals, and providing emotional support

Advocacy and Awareness Campaigns

ETA will launch campaigns to raise awareness about judicial injustices faced by African Australian youth and advocate for policy changes. It will Utilize social media, public speaking events, and community forums to highlight stories of affected youth and the systemic issues they face. We shall collaborate with other advocacy groups to push for reforms in juvenile justice policies.

Civic engagement

For the betterment of Australia through a multicultural approach, young people, regardless of race, will be engaged in civic education. They will support fellow young people, especially refugees of African descent, in integrating well into society. This will involve young white Australians taking on volunteer roles and leading the way in bringing about positive change.

Training and Workshops

We will train African Australian youth and their families on legal rights, self-advocacy, and navigating the judicial system by conducting workshops on understanding legal rights, court procedures, and effective communication with legal professionals.