22 year old singer-songwriter Isaiah Firebrace travelled to Parliament House in Canberra this morning to present his Aboriginal history class petition to three Labor MPs.
Firebrace, a proud Yorta Yorta and Gunditjmara man, launched the petition via change.org late last year, calling on the Australian Government and the Department of Education to implement Aboriginal history classes in primary and secondary schools across the country.
“We urge the Australian government to make Aboriginal History compulsory as a part of the school curriculum,” Firebrace wrote in the petition’s mission statement. “We need more education around Aboriginal history and cultures, and what my people have been through.”
Firebrace met with Labor’s Shadow Minister for Education, Tanya Plibersek, on the lawns of Parliament House, where Plibersek accepted the petition, which came in a box that read “289,000+: Teach Australia’s true history.”
The shadow minister was joined by her Labor colleagues, Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney and former Indigenous Affairs committee member Graham Perrett.
Speaking on ABC TV this morning, Firebrace said, “the biggest dream is to close that gap and to keep fighting for Indigenous rights and help make my people seen.” At last count the petition had upwards of 290,000 signatures. You can add your signature and spread the word here.
Isaiah Firebrace rose to national fame after winning season eight of The X Factor in 2016. In 2017, he represented Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, Ukraine. He finished 9th overall. His latest single, ‘More Than Me’, came out in early November.
