Described as “Australia’s Martin Luther King moment” Stan Grant as part of the IQ2 debate series attempted to confirm the legitimacy of that “Racism is destroying the Australian Dream”. Grant pronounced that racism was not only eroding the Australian dream, but lay at its very foundation. Beginning his speech, Grant references the recent controversy involving former AFL player Adam Goodes and the racist butchery which lead to his eventual retirement. Grant talks inclusively about the incident inciting that "When we heard those boos, we heard a sound that was very familiar to us ... we heard a howl of humiliation that echoes across two centuries of dispossession, injustice, suffering and survival,” alluding to the concept of community and …show more content…
While repeating the ‘Australian Dream’ to exhibit its irony and fallacy. Included was the demonisation of pop cultural figures, among them Charles Dickens, which alienates the audiences views, and asks them to question previously assumed realities. Talking from a voice of authority Grant distinguishes his aboriginal heritage and outlines his inherited past, one full of violence and injustice. Heavy use of hand gestures and passionate vocal tones, reinforced by strong eye contact and a lack of reliance on notes. The effect of this is not only seen in the engagement of the audience, who are seemingly majority white, but also in the mammoth reception of his speech online. Receiving millions of views and strengthening public engagement into the discussion of racism in Australia today. Grants display of passionate emotional rhetoric and a pure sincerity for his beliefs present a strong case for his argument. His powerful statements reveal a permeant scare on the face of Australia, and shameful history that still permeates