#AWW2019 Lesley Williams

• Author:  Lesley and Tammy Williams
  
• Title: Not Just Black and White
  
• Published: 2015
  
• Genre: indigenous issues non-fiction
• Trivia: 2016 Queensland Premier’s Award work of State Significance
• Trivia  2014 David Unaipon Award Winner
• List of Challenges 2019
• Monthly plan
• #AWW2019
• @AusWomenWriters

Quickscan:

1. This is a writing collaboration between
2. mother (Lesley) and daughter (Tammy).
3. Lesley Williams was forced to leave the
4. Cherbourg Aboriginal Settlement
5. …at a young age to work as a domestic servant.
6. Lesley never saw her wages.
7. They were kept ‘safe’ by the government.
8. This book relates her nine-year journey for answers:
9. …where is all that money she earned?
10. Lesley confronts the government
11. …in a judicial wrestling match!

Conclusion:

1. Mrs Williams describes her youth
2. while giving the reader a clear mental image
3. of the backdrop Cherbourg settlement.
4. It was difficult to read about her life
5. under  cruel Protection Act that uprooted
6. thousands of Aboriginal people.
7. because of her strong character and vision
8. she was able overcome many hardships.

1. There were several messages in the book that
2. resonated to me:
3. Williams feels a strong sense of Aboriginal community. (safety network)
4. Williams struggles to fight injustice (racial, financial)
5. Williams reminds all people who suffer racism…

1. Best quote:
2. “There are two ways to fight racism:
3. — fight with your fists
4. — fight with your talents and achievements”
5. Nothing hurts a racist more
6. …when they see you achieving

Last thoughts

1. Good literature unnerves you…..
2. …or takes you somewhere to consider things
3. ….things that you might not have considered
4. thinking about before.
5. This book took me into the Cherbourg Settlement.
6. It showed me the strength of family…
7. that remained unbroken for Lesley Williams.
8. It has only been in the last generations
9. …that Aboriginal writers have been published.
10. They now are  able to tell their stories, their truths.
11. #ReadDiversity