Our African Roots (ATOM Study Guide)

Our African Roots explores Australia's previously untold histories through historical truth–telling and reveals modern Australia's origin story to be a complex, multicultural and multiracial affair. 

Taking a journey back to the multicultural origins of modern Australia, filmmaker and journalist Santilla Chingaipe rips up the monocultural myth of Australia's white foundation narratives. Colouring in our nation's history books, Our African Roots re-tells the stories of the black African convicts, bushrangers, feminists and rebels who played a seminal role in events that shaped the nation. Australian history has been whitewashed for too long, it's time to discover our African roots.

Our African Roots is mainly aimed at secondary school levels 8 to 10, with relevance within the class activities to engage Critical and Creative Thinking; Ethical Understanding, Intercultural Understanding.

Curriculum Links: 

Our African Roots can be linked to the following subject areas (Years 8–10) within the Australian Curriculum:

• Humanities and Social Sciences
• English
• History
• Media studies

Our African Roots is also suggested as a supplementary text for studying the following Senior School subjects

• Australian History
• Sociology