Last weekend, Indigenous blues musician and Elder Marlene Cummins fell victim to a disgusting tirade of racial abuse while busking outside popular Newtown bookstore Better Read Than Dead.
No bystanders or the store intervened in the abuse. Better Read Than Dead has since issued an apology for failing to take action or offer support to Aunty Marlene despite witnessing entire the incident.
Aboriginal blues musician and activist Marlene Cummins was racially abused outside a popular Newtown bookstore over the weekend, not one person tried to help.
Recounting the incident, Aunty Marlene noted that a group of three “well-dressed” people began insulting her music and heckling her in a way that was “full on, disrespectful and racist.”
She claims that while bookshop staff witnessed the whole incident, no one offered any help until after the abuse had already happened. A single staff member reportedly came outside to apologise to the musician.
“I’m out there playing beautiful music to the masses, and you let these idiots, these racist, redneck, white people abuse me,” Aunty Marlene states in a new video criticising staff of the popular bookshop.
“You have no idea what it’s like to be Aboriginal in this country and experience racism on a daily basis,” she continued.
Better Read than Dead have since apologised for their inaction, announcing that they are committed to reviewing the incident with staff and implementing training measures to “take prompt and appropriate action” in the event of a similar situation in the future.
Read the full statement here:
