Charles Perkins 'Contributions' Influence On Australia And America

Throughout history, many activists have made an impactful influence with their differing methods and used it as a way of creating change. Such activists can be seen establishing change within their countries of Australia and America. From Australia, influential activists are displayed through the actions of Eddie Mabo and Charles Perkins whilst in America Martin Luther King and Malcolm X stirred up change that would revolutionise America. Change can only be conceived through the opening of one’s actions and their methods provide different elements of effectiveness towards change.

Australia would not be the Australia with Aborigines we know today without the man known as Charles Perkins. Charles Perkins, most famous for his freedom ride in
In the case of Charles Perkins, his methods worked great even though it may have been a rough start with negative backlash from the townspeople but with the assistance of the media he flipped it and in his own words from his autobiography, A Bastard Like Me, “ It brought, I think, to a lot of people, a confrontation with race relations in a very uncomfortable kind of way”. While on the other hand Martin Luther King’s philosophy of a non-violent protest did similarly and brought forth to light the issues which made the nation of America recognise the segregation occurring within their country. Through this recognition, even though his non-violent methods were being questions, King’s determination brought forth the civil rights act of 1964 and moreover the voting rights acts of 1965. Ergo, the two activists were similar in the fact that they were both non-violent and forced their countries to notice the issues happening beneath them and also especially cause action to be brought down through the voice of the
Eddie Mabo brought forth a new yet logical approach to land ownership within Australia through utilising the courts of Australia and it is with this that he and others brought forth a case to the high court of Australia. This case did not only affect Mabo’s land as it would affect all of the indigenous people’s right to land as with the passing of the case it would remove the once placed terra nullius on Australia and allow for aboriginals to once more take ownership of their land. This is evident in a news article from the time titled “Court's ruling destroyed idea of terra nullius” where it states, “The High Court found in favour of the Murray Islanders and overturned the doctrine accepted until then that Australia had been terra nullius”. Henceforth, the methods of Eddie Mabo challenged previously set out laws and regulations and compelled the high courts of Australia to modify it so that the aboriginals would have their rightful ownership of their