How #IndigenousDads became one of the most important movements. Despite its critics, social activism was stronger than ever on Twitter in 2016. In Australia, hashtags like #blacklivesmatter, #letthemstay and #loveislove dominated according to Twitter's own statistics, but the country's #IndigenousDads movement also had lasting power. On Aug. 6, people began sharing images of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fathers and grandfathers after a "racist" cartoon was published in The Australian newspaper, sending the grassroots hashtag trending. Amazed to see an image of himself and his children light up Twitter that day in August, he recently delivered a TEDX talk in Adelaide on how social media can inspire social change. When he first saw the cartoon, Bayliss told Mashable he felt profound anger: Who is this person to come out and take away from what happened at Don Dale? "People still tweet about it whenever there's something negative happening within Australia. People are still coming back to that positive story." "In the past, Aboriginal people have not been able to talk about their issues," he explained. "Well, here's an opportunity for us for us to say, 'hang on, we are great Aboriginal dads.'
Despite its critics, social activism was stronger than ever on Twitter in 2016.
In Australia, hashtags like #blacklivesmatter, #letthemstay and #loveislove dominated according to Twitter’s own statistics, but the country’s #IndigenousDads movement also had lasting power.
On Aug. 6, people began sharing images of their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fathers and grandfathers after a “racist” cartoon was published in The Australian newspaper, sending the grassroots hashtag trending.
Drawn by Bill Leak, the cartoon came on the back of an ABC news program that exposed the horrific mistreatment of young people in the largely Indigenous juvenile detention centre, Don Dale, in Darwin.
His dad taught him to be proud of his culture #indigenousdads pic.twitter.com/up3mddu4DV
— chelsea bond (@drcbond) August 6, 2016
Joel Bayliss, a youth justice coordinator from Borroloola as well as Arrernte country in the Northern Territory, and an Indigenous father himself, continues to keep the hashtag alive.
Amazed to see an image of himself and his children light up Twitter that day in August, he recently delivered a TEDX talk in Adelaide on how social media can inspire social change.
When he first saw the cartoon, Bayliss told Mashable he felt profound anger: Who is this person to come out and take away from what happened at Don Dale?
As he explained in his talk, “in…
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