The Effect and Value of the Freedom Rides on the Australians - Essay Example

INTRODUCTION Freedom rides are events that occurred between the years 1964 to the year 1965. It is an event that was very significant in the lives of the indigenous people of Australia as far as the issue of civil rights is concerned (Robert & Malcom 2003). This happened due to the inspiration that was given by the freedom riders in America in the movement known as the Civil rights to the student o Sydney University. This movement was made up of the famous group called the Aboriginals Student Action and in the leadership of a student called Charles Perkins. This student was actually the very first Aborigine Australian to graduate in the tertiary form of education. He also travelled to the towns of wale country all in the name of discovery missions (Caroline, 2006). The students in that particular university were experiencing a form of segregation called de facto. As a result they experienced great violence, protest and picketing all due to their effort to raise issues which were affecting the indigenous people (George, 2002). These students usually would stand to protest for so many hours especially streets, pubs, parks, pools and other very strategic places in the major towns. It should be noted that in Australia during that particular period, the people identified as the Aboriginals, were not counted. This as a result meant that they were never counted as citizens. Therefore, their as a results their needs were never taken into consideration. Another very important reason as to why they were never considered as citizens or rather were considered to be lesser than the rest was because of their skin color. This explains why they experienced a lot of racism (Heather, 2006). During the period of the freedom ride, Moree was one of the most common site for the activity. It is at that point that a certain driver rammed off the road the bus as a result of a particular protest that occurred at Walgett. This incident was reported in so many international and local media. It is an incidence that particularly expressed the extent of racism faced by the Aboriginal people (Philip & Rodgers, 1999). This incidence stirred up the actions of protest. The two towns which the crowd went but did not protest were Gulargambone and the Wellington towns. The following is a list of the pioneers of freedom ride; Gary Williams, Charles Perkins, Alan Outhred, Aidan Foy, Wendy Golding, Warwick Richards, Sue Reeves, Sue Johnston, Robyn Iredale, Rick Collins, Ray Leppik, Pat Healy, Paddy Dawson, Norm Mackay, Machteld Hali, Colin Bradford, Helen Gray, Derek Molloy, John Butterworth, Brian Aarons, Judith Rich, David Pepper, John Gowdie, Darce Cassidy, Ann Curthoys, Hall Greenland, Alex Mills, Beth Hansen, Chris Page, John Powles, Barry Corr, Bob Gallagher, Louise Higham and Jim Spigeman (John, 2005). It should be noted that the next ride that was formed a the year 2005 was in New southern side of Wale. However, this particular one focused on the issues of reconciliation, all the experiences people has due to discrimination as well as the issue of poor housing of the aboriginal people were carefully noted. The effect and value of the Freedom Rides on the Australians Racism is one of the most commonly used tools to show discrimination. This is whereby a group of people is denied their rights especially their civil rights simply because they have a different skin color or because they come from a different continent. In some of the nations, this led to the development or rather the formation of what they called freedom rides. This refers to the activists of the civil rights. They were mainly the people who rode the buses into segregated places. These buses were mainly the interstate ones (Len, 1978). These freedom riders were interested in challenging the existing status quos hence their reason for riding those particular forms of state buses. Their main weapon being aimed at challenging the existing local customs and laws that were responsible to enforce segregation. By doing that, they were able to effectively challenge the existing laws of the state that particularly enforced the issue of segregation. One of the most striking incidences that particularly shows hoe effective the freedom riders were happened in the year 1965 (George, 1993). During this particular year, a man by the name Perkins together with thirty more people rode in bus to the southern part of Wale to challenge the existing racism. By doing this, they actually became very famous. One of the reasons as to why they became very effective was due to the fact they became very persistence. In addition, they choose a very effective means, which was riding on the bus. This means that they had a very good time to try convincing the people they were riding with about their perceived mission. They were also able to do it on a one on one basis. This fact gave many of their listeners or rather their audience confidence in what they were saying hence due to that they were able to take close consideration to it as well as embraced their concepts (RobertMacfree & Frank, 1999). These freedom rides were able to spotlight and highlight the racism that was included in white policy of Australia (Raymond, 1961). A certain prime minister known as Edmund Barton in the federation period implemented this particular law for the first time. This law led to a situation called apartheid systems. This is whereby all the Indigenous people were denied essential services like in the shop, cinema hall, hotels, clubs and even swimming pools that were used at that time by the Europeans. The point was that they were supposed to use their own different facilities from the ones used by the Europeans (Ann, 2006). Therefore, the freedom riders were able to clearly show these unfair laws and complain about them. They were greatly involved in verbal aggression in most of the towns, which they visited. This explains why in case of any protests in these towns, they were targeted very much. As they persisted, later in the year 1972, the law was completely abolished. It was after the abolishment that the act on race discrimination was passed (Inclcon group international, 2006). The students also used freedom ride in the year 1960 to 1965. It was during this particular period that a specific group of the students came together and organized some trips with the buses around USA with an aim of exposing or bringing into light the discrimination that was taking place (Klaus, 1960). As it was happening in the USA, the same was taking place in Australia specifically Sydney (Derick, 2009). This is whereby, the students in the university of Sydney came together with one of the journalist in the country and formed a group called aborigines Council student’s actions. They hen took a bus and departed. This happened in the year 1965. The reason as to why this trip was formed was to ensure that the group highlighted the issue of discrimination experienced by the Indigenous Australians (verrier, 1943). This group was in the leadership of Jim Spiegelman and Charles Perkins who were also assisted by a one reverend called Ted Noffs from the Wayside chapel found in Sydney. It is due to his efforts to fifth racism that he was later appointed the chief justice in the year 1998. In other words, the journeys made by the freedom riders enabled the country to fifth racism (Daniel, 1962). Another incident that led to the need for the Australians to fight for their civil rights was the one that happened in Moree. This is whereby a mob of crowd that was crazily filled with the race hatred attacked the students who were involved in the freedom riders group. This happened when the ladies spitted on the girls as well as hurled insults to them. During this incidence, many people were arrested. Many filthy things were done to the students like having rotten eggs and fruits thrown to them. This incident was automatically reported in al media forms in the country both international and the local ones. This means that the students though indirectly were able to expose the issue of discrimination in the country especially against the Aboriginals. This incidence therefore gave empirical evidence of what was happening as far as the issue of racism is concerned (jake, 2004). Others things that the Aborigines people were opposed to, includes the denial of their rights like the fact that though having been citizens in that nation, they were not at all treated like such. This is because their lands were taken away, they were made to live like missions and reserves, they has to be informally settled in very tiny settlements especially in the town outskirts. In other words they were exposed to very poor living conditions. They were also denied essential things like electricity and social amenities. Apart from that, they were also physically abused occasionally (James, 2005). The efforts made by the freedom rider during that period led to the development of medical facilities for the Aborigines. Conclusions According to the facts that were presented and all the activities that were done during the period of freedom rider, it is very evident that their effort were not only very helpful and effective but also valuable to the Australia (Dale, 2008). Another very important benefit that was brought about by the freedom riders was a referendum that was done in the year 1967. This is whereby, the government considered reviewing the constitution with the most important clause targeting the issue of the Aboriginal affairs. This happened because of the media coverage that was done during the period they were fighting for their rights. All this enabled the people of the aboriginal to be very much empowered. Finally, there was creation of love and harmony among all the citizens of the Australia (Albert, 2000). This means that if the freedom rides were not persistence in their efforts to fight for the civil rights then the citizens of Australia could not live a harmonious life together. Reference Albert, M., 2000. Rasism. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Ann, B., 2006. Freedom riders: John lewis and Jim Zwerg on the front line. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. Caroline,F., 2006.race and racism: An introduction. Oxford: oxford university press. Dale, A., 2008. freedom Rides: campaign for equality. Daniel, T.,1962. the freedom rides: A bibliography. Chester: Pearson. Derek, C., 2009. Freedom’s line: the journey of reconciliation and the freedom rides George, M., 2002., Racism: a short history. Oxford: oxford university press. George, W., 1999. A bill of rights for Australia. Chester: Pearson. Heather, C., 2006. Aboriginals. Oxford: oxford university press. Inclcon group international., 2006. Aboriginals: Webster’s quotation, facts and phrases. 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