Race Matters

From the horrific situation that unfolded in nine public housing blocks in Melbourne, to an open letter condemning cancel culture, to a white country band suing a Black blues singer for a name she's been using for 20 years – this ep, we debrief on the hectic week that was. Plus, how white people stepping down from positions of power can be one of the most productive anti-racist acts, and reflections on the recent Black Lives Matter protest in Sydney.

As more people than ever before begin to grapple with systemic racism around the world, we’re seeing organisations, institutions and even entire industries being rightly held accountable for their racist past and present. To mark our first one hour show on FBi Radio, we reflect on the long, painful road to get Race Matters to where it is today. Plus – last week, as part of a collective of Filipinx-Australian writers, poet Eunice Andrada penned an open letter to Australian arts journal Verity La following their publication of a creative non-fiction piece deemed by many (including now, the journal itself) to be racist and misogynistic. We chat to Eunice about institutional critique and accountability in the literary world, as well as her work co-organising online Filipinx literary festival The Digital Sala. Content warning: this interview contains mentions of sexual exploitation, sex tourism and abuse.

We're back together in the studio this week, IRL! What better time to unpack the phenomenon of white women weaponising race (and often, tears) against Black and First Nations people. Why do they do it? And why is it so dangerous to claim victimhood over being called a Karen? Plus, stick around 'til the end of the episode for some exciting news about Race Matters moving forward.

As the Black Lives Matter movement draws attention to ongoing systemic racism the world over, rapper Ziggy Ramo has just dropped an album that speaks so directly to this moment – but it was actually written five years ago. He takes us through his thought process around releasing the record now, how he decides when to engage with racist rhetoric, and disrupting Eurocentric standards of beauty. Listen to 'Black Thoughts' by Ziggy Ramo, out now on all streaming services.

It's been a WEEK. Right now we're seeing growing and unprecedented recognition of racism and police brutality – in the States, globally, and of course, here on our soil. So where to from here? How do we sustain this energy today, tomorrow and forever? This episode we're talking about things you can do to keep up the fight against racism. We’ve made some steps, but we've got a long way to go, and a lot of work to do.

“I can’t breathe” were some of George Floyd’s last words, before his death at the hands of police. This was the same phrase Eric Garner repeated as he was fatally restrained by police in 2014. It’s also the same phrase that Dunghutti man David Dungay repeated in 2015 as he was fatally restrained by prison guards, here in Sydney. As Black Lives Matter protests continue in the States, there are impossible-to-ignore links to the ongoing colonial violence in Australia. We discuss the importance of taking action, paying reparations and constantly challenging white supremacy and anti-Bla(c)kness. Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners are advised that this episode mentions the name of people who have passed away. This episode also discusses racialised violence and police brutality.

Between Doja Cat and Lana Del Rey, there is some hectic race-related controversy bouncing around pop music right now. We unpack Lana's dripping-in-white-woman-fragility Instagram rant. Plus, Carolina De La Piedra fills us in on what's going on with Doja, namely her alleged involvement in some incel, white supremacist chat rooms and the resurfacing of an unreleased track of hers based around a racial slur.

Mindy Kaling's new teen Netflix comedy-drama is being hailed as a watershed moment for South Asian representation. But what does that really mean, when the bar is already so low, if not non-existent? We talk about what Never Have I Ever got right, what it got wrong, and what it meant to us.

Between 1920 and 1938, a flag bearing the words "A man was lynched yesterday" was flown from the headquarters of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People in the United States. But as the recent murder of Ahmaud Arbery shows, lynching is far from a thing of the past. This week, we unpack the ongoing struggle to confront and convince the wider community of systematic racism, and the role white people play in upending or upholding these systems. Warning: this episode contains discussions of racialised violence.

Chinese-Australian author Janette Chen walks us through translating formative experiences onto the page and the pivotal role stationery had in getting her started as a writer. You can read Janette's stories in Sweatshop Women Volume One and Two. Plus, Sara and Tanya catch up on what's been keeping us going this week as we continue to navigate isolation.

It’s been over a month since the government advised self isolation and social distancing across Australia. A LOT has happened since then... including some deeply misguided at best, unhinged at worst celeb moments (hey Madonna + Gal Gadot, we see you!). In this ep, we reflect on how experiences of the Coronavirus pandemic differs depending on your race, your socioeconomic status, your level of privilege.

One of the silver linings of this strange moment is that many of us are finding ourselves with a bit of extra time on our hands. Why not spend it with some of the art made by our communities? We put the question to you: what PoC-led media are you loving right now? Hear from listeners + past guests alike on what pop culture they can't get enough of. Plus, local pop icon and past guest Rainbow Chan tells us how she's practising self-care in social isolation. Full list of the media plugged in this ep: On My Block (Netflix) / @amandabb (Youtube) / Small Doses by Amanda Seales (Booktopia) / Spa Night (SBS On Demand) / HEAVN by Jamila Woods (Spotify) / Priya Krishna (Instagram) / Homebound (To be released; on Instagram @homeboundmovie) / The Family Law (SBS On Demand; Google Play) / Dragon Prince (Netflix) / Man Like Mobeen (Netflix) / Dear White People (Netflix).

If your artistic practice hinges on live performance, what does COVID-19 mean for you and your livelihood? We catch up with former Race Matters host and rapper DOBBY aka Rhyan Clapham to hear about how he's navigating these uncertain times as a musician. Plus, Soo-Min Shim reads us some quotes that are buoying her through isolation.

In these incredibly tough times, how are you looking after yourself? We reached out to a bunch of past Race Matters guests and friends to hear how they're practising self-care while physically distancing. You'll hear from Courte Marsh, Nathan Sentance, Winnie Dunn, Chela, Johnny Lieu, Marcus Whale, Ying-Di Yin, Justin Tam, Manisha Anjali, Leah Jing Mcintosh, Ayeesha Ash, and of course, Sara Khan and Darren Lesaguis. We'd love to hear from you too – record a voice memo telling us one thing you're doing at the moment to care for yourself and send it to us: racematters [at] fbiradio [dot] com.

Widely acclaimed not even a month after its publication, Western Sydney author Vivian Pham's 'The Coconut Children' is set to be one of the most loved debuts of the year. She chats about what drew her to the written word, how Sydney Story Factory changed the way she saw writing race, and reclaiming her own narrative.

We dive into our vault, unearthing a conversation from 2018 with artist, 2019 FBi SMAC Award winner, and Artistic Director of Black Birds theatre collective, Ayeesha Ash – on representation on-stage, Rachel Dolezal, and the power of seeing Solange's Sydney Opera House debut.

Ahead of Blak Matriarchies, a panel as part of All About Women at the Sydney Opera House, Gunai woman Kirli Saunders joins us to chat about the power of Language, Blak ownership and empowering First Nations youth with her program Poetry in First Languages.

Has a Facebook group changed the way you connect with your ethnic identity? Artist and researcher Sab D’Souza explores online practices of diasporic youth through their work – so we're diving deep with them into the phenomenon of culturally-specific online communities.

What role does race play in your romances? In the lead up to Valentine's Day, we unpack some of the complexities that come with interracial relationships, and the damaging simplicity of many of the recurring tropes used to depict them on-screen.

Ahead of Invasion Day 2020, we talk the ongoing colonisation of this country, what productive, positive allyship can look like, and shifting the focus from simply changing the date to changing the system. // Invasion Day rallies are happening all over the country on Sunday January 26 - we'll see you at the Warrang leg, starting in Hyde Park at 11am.