Pass It On: Beyond Blue’s Powerful New Campaign About Casual Racism
It's called 'The Invisible Discriminator'. It's fairly confronting.
‘Stop. Think. Respect’ is an ongoing beyondblue campaign which highlights how discrimination can impact mental health. Where the first iteration in 2012 focused on discrimination of GLBTI people with a powerful video that drew parallels between being bullied for being gay and being bullied for being left-handed, the campaign’s second phase — launched with a video this morning — highlights the compounding effect that casual racism has on the mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And it’s quickly picking up speed on Facebook.
A 2013 study by the Lowitja Institute in Victoria found that 97% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had experienced racism multiple times; it also showed that subtle forms of discrimination, like being left out, avoided or stared at, were just as harmful to mental health as overt racism.
The video was accompanied by behind-the-scenes interviews with the indigenous actors featured in the ad, who talk of their own experiences. And this one’s even more confronting.
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beyondblue is a national initiative to raise awareness and understanding of anxiety and depression, and help those who suffer from it. To read more about their current campaign, head here; for advice and support for anxiety and depression, head to their website or call 1300 224 636.