Hugh Stewart
The year 2020 marks 250 years since James Cook’s first voyage to Australia, yet today Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people still aren’t acknowledged in our constitution.
The time is now for recognition and reform, as called for in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We’re calling for real change, not mere symbolism. It’s time Indigenous people are acknowledged as our First People and have their voice enshrined in the constitution.
This month, marie claire joins forces with some of Australia’s biggest and brightest names to unite for change. Here, AFL player Lance Franklin and model Jesinta Franklin open up about their hopes for their baby’s future…
LANCE FRANKLIN, AFL PLAYER
“My mum is a Noongar-Whadjuk woman and she taught me to be proud of who I am. But to be honest, our heritage and her story wasn’t spoken about a lot because of all of the hurt from the past. Our people have been subjected to discrimination and unfair treatment. There are still challenges facing our people to this day and I hope that my story can help educate people and bring respect and a sense of pride from all Australians about who we are.”
JESINTA FRANKLIN, MODEL
“I realised racism was still a very real issue in Australia when I posted a photo of [my husband] Buddy on Instagram and had to remove it because of the racist comments. I felt so bad for his family and the young Indigenous people who follow Buddy. Because of my white privilege, I didn’t realise how prominent racism still is. I know I’m going to have these discussions with my child and explain the dark parts of history, but we also want to celebrate the beautiful Indigenous culture and stories. We want our child to feel included, recognised, heard and worthy, which is why constitutional recognition is so important to us.”
RELATED: Why We All Need To Support the Uluru Statement From The Heart
RELATED: Jesinta Franklin Talks Buddy, Babies and Racism in marie claire Podcast
This story originally appeared in the February issue of marie claire, out now.
Photography by Hugh Stewart.
