Approximately 200 Aborigines signed the petition calling for the offensive
name to be retained.
The Aboriginal Community in Toowoomba numbers about 6000.
The ABC's John Taylor is issueing a false report when he states that the
"Toowoomba Aboriginal Community" has voted the name should stay.
Laurie.
Laurie and Desley Forde [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--------------------------------------------
Trudy Bray wrote...................
-----Original Message-----
From: Trudy Bray <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: news-clip <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Saturday, July 31, 1999 6:09 PM
Subject: ABC Transcript: The E.S. "Nigger" Brown stand
The E.S. "Nigger" Brown stand
The World Today - Friday, July30, 199912:53
COMPERE: Well, as a term of racial abuse, "nigger" is
probably one of the worst. But is it acceptable when it's also
a hero athlete's name, or at least part of his nick-name?
That's the argument that's taking place in Queensland over
the name of a grandstand at Toowoomba Athletic Oval. It's
called the E.S. Nigger-Brown Stand. This has drawn
outrage from many and a complaint to the Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission.
However, in what many people think would be a surprising
move, the Toowoomba Aboriginal Community has voted that
the name should stay.
John Taylor.
JOHN TAYLOR: His real name was Edward Stanley Brown,
and in Toowoomba he was admired for playing in the 1921
Kangaroos rugby league side. He was better known by his
nick-name, "Nigger", which apparently he got as a child
because he had fair skin and blonde hair. And in the late
1960s, a grandstand at Toowoomba's Athletic Oval was
named in his honour, the E.S. Nigger-Brown Stand.
Last month a local Aboriginal activist, Steve Haigan,
demanded it be changed, but the Toowoomba Sports
Ground Trust said no way. But the issue hasn't died,
especially since it's now been referred to the Human Rights
and Equal Opportunity Commission. But yesterday the
debate took a new twist, with a meeting of local Toowoomba
Aboriginal people voting the tag "nigger" should stay.
Wally McCarthy from the Aboriginal Services Centre says
more than 120 local Aborigines have spoken.
WALLY McCARTHY: I hope it's the end of it and I hope the
name's still there. We've done a resolution which will be
under the Commission, and also other petitions, and I hope
they take it into consideration at the ... of the members of
the Aboriginal community and the support that we've given
to Mr Brown.
JOHN TAYLOR: But not everyone in the Aboriginal
community agrees with keeping the name. ATSIC
Commissioner, Col Dillon, told the ABC's Francis Tapim the
word "nigger" is in no way, shape or form acceptable.
COL DILLON: I'm absolutely bewildered. I'm absolutely
appalled to think that any of our people would be supportive
of a stand being named in such derogatory terms. It's terms
like that and similar terms that we have been fighting in this
nation to eradicate.
JOHN TAYLOR: It's a fight Wally McCarthy has participated
in, but in this instance in Toowoomba the name should stay.
The word "nigger" is extremely offensive when used in
normal, everyday language in Australia. Why isn't it
offensive when it's on a football stand at Toowoomba?
WALLY McCARTHY: I mean, you look at it, I suppose, in a
couple of contexts. We use "nigger" a lot. You know, we've
got black people that we call "nigger". You know, you can
look at it ... I mean, I've had fights over being called "nigger"
in the early 70s here in Toowoomba. I mean, I'm 65 and I'll
fight if somebody calls me "nigger." It all depends how it's
said and, you know, as I said, they can say it, I suppose, in
a couple of contexts. But this man's been given this name
long before we were born and it's stuck with him, and it's on
the stand, and I hope it stops there. It was here before I
came, 30 years ago. I hope it can be there long after I'm
gone.
JOHN TAYLOR: The matter is now in the hands of the
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. If it can't
be conciliated, it will likely go to public hearings and could
end with the Toowoomba Sports Ground Trust being forced
to remove the name, regardless of local support.
COMPERE: John Taylor reporting Queensland affairs for
The World Today, and that's the programme for this Friday
and this week, of course.
c 1999 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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