A WIRADJURI mother and son have spoken out about the constant fear they live in as a person of colour.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Letetia Harris and her son Yindyamarra Johnson, 13, live in Wagga, and both have stories to tell where they have been the victims of racism.
"We've witnessed so many altercations with police officers over our lives, and watched how the police are brutal and use excessive force over and over again, how our children are being asked to move on and aren't allowed to just be kids in a public area, how as adults we're asked to move on," Ms Harris said.
"It's different rules for the non-indigenous community."
Ms Harris' biggest concern, though, was not for herself, but for her son.
"I'm worried that my son will be facing the same things his father has faced his whole life," she said.
"Like being beaten by police officers. He tells a story of him and his cousins down at the river with two white women, friends, and the police came and took them to prison, beat them, then let them go because they couldn't charge them with anything.
"We've had family in and out of jail, having excessive force used when they're arrested, you ask them how they got all these different injuries and it's always when they're getting arrested."
Yindyamarra had already been at the receiving end of racism countless times at only 13 years of age.
"In primary school, at my old school in Cowra, people always made racist jokes about me, it made me feel really bad," he said.
"I had to move to a different school in Cowra because of it, and then move again here to Wagga."
Yindyamarra admitted he was scared of the police, and felt like a target when out in public.
"I've been followed through the shops by security guards when I was with my cousins, we were just looking around and not doing anything wrong, but everyone always thinks we are," he said.
The pair joined the march down Wagga's main street on Saturday as part of the Black Lives Matter Rally.
One attendee walking alongside their fellow community members was Jocelyn McMullen.
"I feel that there is no excuse for the way people are being treated, here and in America," she said.
"If you have access to the internet, the news, books, you should be learning and knowing to show respect and support."
Jessica Burges was another to join the fight for equality, saying her line of work drove the message home that things needed to change.
"I work at the Aboriginal Legal Service, so I hear a lot of the injustice that goes on, and I want to show my support for my community and clients," she said.
For more on the march, and to view a video of the event and hear about the ceremony, click here: Black Lives Matter rally exceeds expectations as Wagga pledges support