History of Indigenous work sheds light on Australian slavery

Emeritus Kay Saunders AO, the Hon. Leeanne Enoch MP, Dr Jackie Huggins, Dr Denver Beanland, AM, Ann McGrath AM at the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. The exploitation of Indigenous Australian workers offers powerful insights into Australia's history of slavery, as well as the Black Lives Matter movement and deaths in custody, leading experts from The Australian National University (ANU) say. The researchers have re-released their seminal book Aboriginal Workers, 25 years after it was first published in light of the global movement and the 30th anniversary of the Royal Commission into Black Deaths in Custody. Co-author Professor Ann McGrath from ANU said the Black Lives Matter movement had raised many similar issues still faced by Indigenous Australians today.  "For Indigenous Australians, the BLM movement resonates powerfully. They share a history of labour exploitation and oppression, as well as racism based on their skin colour," Professor McGrath said.   "That's why we have decided to re-release Aboriginal Workers.