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Identity

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Event Status

African-Australians can face prejudice in their everyday lives, whether it’s increased likelihood of harassment by police or lazy assumptions that they come from backgrounds of poverty or violence. But identifying as African-Australian is also a source of strength, providing community ties and connecting to a rich culture.

What does it mean to be an African-Australian? Who is an African-Australian … and why is it personally important for Australians with African ancestry to embrace and own it?

We’ll look at this subject from a range of African perspectives. Featuring host Santilla Chingaipe, with Hawiine, Kirk Zwangobani and Monica Forson.

Featuring

Santilla Chingaipe

Santilla Chingaipe is a filmmaker, historian and author, whose work explores settler colonialism, slavery, and post-colonial migration in Australia. Chingaipe’s first book of non-fiction detailing the untold stories of convicts of African descent is forthcoming, and the critically acclaimed and aw... Read more

Hawiine Hawiine

Hawiine, known in equal fondness as Soreti Kadir, is a multidisciplinary artist. Most well known for her expression as a performance poet, writer, musician, organiser and speaker, her practice is always developing to better communicate her message. A lover of storytelling, Hawiine recently release... Read more

Monica Forson

​Monica Forson is co-founder and president of the Afro-Australian Student Organisation, a member of the Multifaith Multicultural Youth Network, and youth advisor for the Ghana Association of Australia. Monica is a young woman of mixed Ghanaian and Australian descent who is currently undertaking a ... Read more

Kirk Zwangobani

Kirk Zwangobani was born and educated in Canberra, Australia where he now lives and works as an executive teacher. Kirk is an early career researcher who has theorised extensively on the formation of an African Australian identity and belonging, working across a number of fields ... Read more

Location

The Wheeler Centre

176 Little Lonsdale Street Melbourne Victoria 3000

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The Wheeler Centre acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which the Centre stands. We acknowledge and pay our respects to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their Elders, past and present, as the custodians of the world’s oldest continuous living culture.