Some successful, some dependant, some are warriors, some defendants
Some are leaders, some are lost, some are workers, some are boss
Separate yet one are we, diversified identity
Cultural, traditional, first nation Aboriginal
Mission breed, advocate, Jackie Jackie, coconut
Conservative, assimilated, blackfella, urban native
Activist he got fair skin, myall black, she proper gin
Illiterate, educated, city dweller, isolated
Fighting hard, running scared, someone spoke, no someone dared
Commonwealth, Sovereignty, what do we want, what do we need
Burn the flag, save the Queen, on the fence and in between
Speak the truth or sit in silence, brotherhood or lateral violence
Self-gain, common cause, locked cells, open doors
Close the gap and reconcile yet intervention screams denial
Stronger futures, stronger past, we’ve survived but will we last
People talk assimilation silence self determination
Separate yet one are we, diversified identity.
Diversified Identity
by Steven Oliver
pro program By
Cloncurry-born Stephen Oliver has trained as a dancer, actor, singer and poet.
A proud Kuku-Yalanji, Darumbal, Waanyi men who is renown for his role on Black Comedy and a poem which confronts Australian racism, hypocrisy, fragility and privilege that climbed to almost two million views on Facebook.
You can read Steven's poem each month via the Indigenous Artist Magazine.