Silence at The Settlement — Remembering Ray Jackson

BY JORDAN FERMANIS

The 23rd of April marked a year since the passing of Indigenous Rights activist Ray Jackson. A memorial tribute was held at The Settlement in Darlington.

The memorial was attended by Greens MP Jenny Leong, Indigenous activists from across Sydney and the family of Ray Jackson.

Ray was a Wiradjuri (Central NSW) man who was President and co-founder of the Indigenous Social Justice Association for which he was awarded a medal for human rights in 2013 by the French government. He was co-founder of the Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Watch Committee from 1987 which monitored and ensured that the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody were implemented.

Ken Canning, a Murri activist from South-West Queensland, worked with Ray Jackson from the late 1980s in the Watch Committee and reminisces on Jackson’s dedication and importance to Indigenous activism in Australia.

“One of the things you’ve got to give him was the sheer dedication and hard work he was willing to put in. The amount of people he was willing to engage, and I just don’t think he got proper recognition in a lot of areas. The French government recognised him, but back in good old downtown Australia, they wouldn’t know a good citizen if they fell over them,” Canning said.

Jackson’s ability to mediate with activists groups other than those campaigning for Indigenous rights became his strength as a leader.

“His ability to get different groups to talk to each other was a great legacy. He would go and talk to groups about Refugee rights or marriage equality rights, he wasn’t singular.”

“I think part of Ray’s legacy was people could ring him up and have a clearer vision,” Canning said.

A year after Jackson’s passing, his visions of a unified and collective effort with other activist groups remains an important legacy. But Canning says that the fight of First Nations people must be first.

“First nations have to battle first because we were the first hit. But once we beat the colonial mechanism that is keeping our people suppressed, every suppressed group will benefit from it.”

Canning is a candidate with the Socialist Alliance party for the NSW Senate election later this year where his fight for First Nations people continues.

“If I get elected I would annoy them every day,” Mr Canning joked.

“On the serious side, I’d be asking some very serious questions everyday. I’d be asking why are the Liberal and Labor parties creating policy that is responsible for the death of Aboriginal people.”

Canning’s decision to run for the NSW Senate is another step in the long running battle for the rights of First Nations people. The anniversary of Ray Jackson’s death serves as reminder that this battle has not been won. A reminder that is expressed in Canning’s remembrance of Jackson’s legacy.

“Ray’s legacy was never stop fighting. Never stop fighting. Just keep going at it, don’t stop.”