One Year On: Reflections on How the Anti-Racism Landscape Has Evolved and What It Means for Hue

When we started Hue five years ago, our goal was clear: to equip people and organisations with the practical tools they need to challenge the root causes of racism and oppression. This has never been easy work. It takes guts to stand up and call out racism—and in the last year, we’ve seen just how many courageous people are out there doing exactly that. We’re glad. We’re energised by it.

Over the past year, we’ve felt a real shift in the way people are talking about anti-racism and oppression. There’s a deeper urgency, a stronger momentum. We believe change happens when we keep these conversations going—so in that spirit, we want to share some of what we’ve seen and experienced.

Maybe you’ve felt it too? Our workshop conversations today are miles away from where they were a year ago. People are digging deeper, making sharper connections, and questioning the systems that uphold injustice and oppression. May the violence of empires continue to be unveiled and exposed.

Improved Media Literacy

Mainstream media’s role in the ongoing genocide against Palestinians has sparked a sharp rise in media literacy and critical engagement with so-called “news” outlets.

The suppression and silencing of reporting on the genocide—alongside the blatant spread of misinformation and racial bias—has been impossible to ignore, especially as people around the world witnessed livestreamed footage and on-the-ground reporting directly from Gaza. It’s become glaringly clear to many just how deeply “news” media is entangled in spreading propaganda and upholding the interests of this colony, capitalism, and western imperialism.

In our workshops, we’re seeing a noticeable shift: participants are far more aware of the media’s role in manufacturing consent for violence, colonisation, and the ongoing erasure of truth.

Unlearning Liberalism

Conversations about liberal zionism and its role in sustaining the zionist occupation has sharpened critical thinking around the broader impact of liberalism—both within this colony and across anti-oppression movements.

We have been observing a growing tension between groups dedicated to using the mechanisms of the system and colonial institutions to pursue change, safety, cohesion and inclusion- and those seeking to pursue change outside of these avenues. The latter is still often painted as less respectable or socially unacceptable, but support for this approach seems to be increasing.

In our workshops we are seeing more conversations about direct action, revolutionary politics and disillusionment with the Not-for-Profit industrial complex.

Watch this great educational video by Black Peoples Union about Liberalism.

Awareness of Western Imperialism

An increased awareness about the zionist occupation is improving literacy about western imperialism more broadly and its relationship to the ongoing occupation of so-called “australia”.

This understanding has been progressed through First Nations & Palestinian solidarity organising by groups like Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance, as well as education & solidarity building by groups like Black Peoples Union with Kanaky & West Papua.

This improved understanding is allowing people in our workshops to make connections between racism, colonialism, imperialism and broader global systems of power.

Weaponisation of Diversity & Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) work has been impacted significantly over the last year.

We have seen D&I processes & policies utilised by zionists to silence Palestinians and those speaking out against genocide, evidencing how this work can be weaponised for white supremacy. Furthermore, the rollback of D&I in the United States has had flow on effects for many organisations and businesses in Australia and will likely continue to erode D&I programs over time.

While Hue’s work is sometimes conducted under the D&I umbrella, we welcome the unveiling of how liberal initiatives like D&I and other tokenistic gestures often fall short or serve the interests of the dominant group and those with power.

While this year has been challenging for all doing meaningful anti-racism & anti-oppression work, we are emboldened by this fast changing landscape and more committed to the role of education than ever.

If you’re interested in supporting Hue’s work, let your workplace know about our workshops and get in touch with us via https://huecolourtheconversation.com/contact-us. We’ve got an End of Financial Year deal running—book before June 30 to access discounted rates for workshops and consulting.