Veronica Gorrie, a Gunai/Kurnai woman from Victoria and a former
QLD police officer, has condemned the
New York Times over its
obituary of Uncle Jack Charles, who died peacefully at the age of
79 on 13 September after suffering a stroke. Ms Gorrie, who knew
the celebrated actor and activist personally, described the obituary
as insensitive and culturally inappropriate.
The NYT Obituary began by reporting:
Quote:MELBOURNE, Australia — Jack Charles, one of Australia's leading
Indigenous actors, who has been called the "grandfather of Aboriginal
theatre" but whose heroin addiction and penchant for burglary landed
him in and out of jail throughout his life, died in Melbourne. He was 79.
"Culturally, it's quite disrespectful to speak ill of our dead," Ms Gorrie said.
"So, it's really triggering for us mob, for blackfellas to see this written
about him. And to portray him for his past is quite disgusting... I do
feel for the family, who would have been definitely traumatised for what
they read. It's very upsetting."
—I can only agree that the NYT's reporting was distasteful at the least,
but grossly offensive, racist, and totally misrepresentative of the truth
of the man at worst. And I have to say; indicative of the average
American's concept of racial equivalence as far as their own white
supremacy divides their country.