I too am aware of Aboriginal elder William Cooper and his activism. He was around 77 years old when he led that Aboriginal delegation to the German consulate in Melbourne to deliver a letter “on behalf of the Aboriginal inhabitants of Australia” recording that “we protest wholeheartedly at the cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government”.

That protest was remarkable because it came from a discriminated against people who were caught up in fighting their own battles for recognition and justice.

Groups that have suffered discrimination and persecution often have greater sympathy and empathy for other groups that have been similarly afflicted. This is understandable because they can more readily put themselves in the shoes of the other and imagine what they must be feeling and experiencing.

William Cooper was heavily involved in seeking rights and better conditions for Aboriginal people. In a letter to the Minister of the Interior in February 1937, he lamented the lack of urgency in acting to improve the conditions of indigenous Australians, making the telling comment that, “white Australia, however kindly disposed, does not, cannot, “think black” ”.
https://williamcooper.monash.edu/archive/cooper-to-thomas-paterson-4/

The notion that white Australia cannot “think black” is a major reason why indigenous Australians want greater input into decisions about matters affecting their lives.

The Voice will only be an advisory body, but at the same time it has the possibility of giving indigenous Australians greater empowerment, influence and responsibility for their future.

This is about the history and treatment of indigenous Australians and how we move forward with recognition, reconciliation and closing the gap. The status quo is not working. Something needs to change.