Accusations of racism were first brought to light from First Nations actors against the ‘Neighbours’ cast and crew earlier this month. And now they continue to unfold.
Indigenous actors Shareena Clanton and Meyne Wyatt took to social media to reveal the allegations of the racism they endured while working on Neighbours.
In Clanton’s Instagram post, she began by saying, “Struggling to post anything positive about the months I endured on @neighbours after multiple racist traumas and navigating ongoing counselling from this highly problematic show. It’s been lonely, triggering and traumatising to work in such a culturally unsafe space.”
After Clanton came forward, Wyatt, who became the first Aboriginal actor become a main cast member on an Australian soapie back in 2014, did too. Wyatt said on Twitter, “I called it out and it didn’t happen around me again.”
And now as reported by news.com.au, new allegations have surfaced, with Clanton speaking on her Neighours experience on ABC’s 7.30 Report.
Clanton said, “There’s a workplace environment that seems to have made it permissible for many years that discrimination, harassment and bullying has been allowed to occur.” She added, “There is something systemic here, there is something dangerous.”
Clanton specifically noted incidences of cast and staff members using the n-word on set, she told the 7.30 Report, “I went straight to the producers … spoke about the racist terminology and history behind it and hurt, and the individual was apparently put on a warning.” According to Clanton, nothing changed, and, “That was still used, and then laughed at even further by people who thought it OK and appropriate, and then to think such a word is funny because it’s used in American rap music.”
“Calling it out left me isolated, bullied, marginalised. I felt lonely and no-one knows the trauma that racism imprints into your soul. And we have to, every day as First Nations, as people of colour, we have to wear armour when we step outside of our doors.”
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