Australia has made progress in eradicating racism, but still has a way to go, the outgoing Australian of the Year, Adam Goodes, said.
Goodes made his valedictory speech at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra ahead of Sunday night’s Australian of the Year awards ceremony, which will see the announcement of his replacement.
“I mentioned in my acceptance speech last year that my hope was that this nation can break down the silos between races, break down the stereotypes of minority populations, Indigenous populations and all the other minority groups,” Goodes said.
“I felt that the ultimate reward would be when all Australians see each other as equals and treat each other as equals. While we are not quite there yet and still have a way to go, I feel that in 2014, we as a nation, community and individuals, have made progress.”
The AFL star said he would continue to advocate for his nominated causes: against racism and domestic violence, and pushing for constitutional recognition of Australia’s first peoples.
“I ask every Australian to think about what the constitutional exclusion says to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, to see our vast and inspiring history in this land not mentioned in the official picture like that,” Goodes said.
“To me, the heartbreak of this constitutional exclusion is that it denies the true span of our country’s history to every Australian today and to all those into the future and it will do so until we fix it. So we need to put this right for ourselves and for all the generations of young Australians to follow.”
He said the push for recognition is gaining momentum.
“Over the past 12 months, I have asked my fellow Australians to join me as a supporter of the recognise movement,” Goodes said.
“More than a thousand people a week have done just that. Last February, the recognise movement had 178,000 supporters. Today, it has over a quarter of a million grassroot supporters across Australia.”
But Goodes urged Australians not to give up on the issue once he’s no longer Australian of the Year.
“I once more ask every Australian to think about what you can do to campaign for this referendum. For in putting this right, ours will be a defining and uplifting achievement for every one of us who now calls this nation home.”
Goodes said he was deeply touched by letters of support he had received from across the country, and read out an example from a 12-year-old child who pledged to help end racism.
The footballer gained a few laughs when he compared himself to Elvis Presley, admitting that while he cannot sing, his dance moves are on par with the King.
