We have survived! Forty years of Aboriginal protest posters – in pictures
News Source
•Mon, 13 Jul 2026 15:00:50 GMT
📰 What Happened
A gallery of Aboriginal protest posters from the collection of Ray Jackson has been published. The posters cover forty years of Indigenous activism in Australia. They include works from the 1980s and beyond. One poster protested the 1988 Bicentenary celebrations, calling the re-enactment an insult to Aboriginal people. Another promoted the We Have Survived rally. Jackson was a trade unionist and a communist who fought for Aboriginal rights. He collected these posters as part of his life's work. They show the power of art in political movements.
🔍 The Backstory
Ray Jackson was a leading figure in Aboriginal activism. He cared deeply about deaths in custody and social justice. He set up the Indigenous Social Justice Association Sydney to support families of people who died in custody. His poster collection shows how Aboriginal people used art to speak out. The posters were plastered on the walls of his home. They became part of his activism. Today they offer a powerful look at four decades of struggle. Many of the artists and designers were themselves part of the movements they promoted.
🎯 Why It Matters
These posters show how Aboriginal Australians fought for their rights through art. They remind us that protest can take many forms and that creative work can be as powerful as a speech.
A gallery of Aboriginal protest posters from the collection of Ray Jackson has been published. The posters cover forty years of Indigenous activism in Australia. They include works from the 1980s and beyond. One poster protested the 1988 Bicentenary celebrations, calling the re-enactment an insult to Aboriginal people. Another promoted the We Have Survived rally. Jackson was a trade unionist and a communist who fought for Aboriginal rights. He collected these posters as part of his life's work. They show the power of art in political movements.
Ray Jackson was a leading figure in Aboriginal activism. He cared deeply about deaths in custody and social justice. He set up the Indigenous Social Justice Association Sydney to support families of people who died in custody. His poster collection shows how Aboriginal people used art to speak out. The posters were plastered on the walls of his home. They became part of his activism. Today they offer a powerful look at four decades of struggle. Many of the artists and designers were themselves part of the movements they promoted.
These posters show how Aboriginal Australians fought for their rights through art. They remind us that protest can take many forms and that creative work can be as powerful as a speech.