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Am I Black Enough For You? 10 Years On
The story of an urban-based high achieving Wiradyuri woman working to break down stereotypes and build bridges between black and white Australia.
I'm Aboriginal. I'm just not the Aboriginal person a lot of people want or expect me to be.
What does it mean to be Aboriginal? Why is Australia so obsessed with notions of identity? Anita Heiss, successful author and passionate advocate for Aboriginal literacy, rights and representation, was born a member of the Wiradyuri nation of central New South Wales but was raised in the suburbs of Sydney and educated at the local Catholic school.
In this heartfelt and revealing memoir, told in her distinctive, wry style, with large doses of humour, Anita Heiss gives a firsthand account of her experiences as a woman with a Wiradyuri mother and Austrian father. Anita explains the development of her activist consciousness, how she strives to be happy and healthy, and the work she undertakes every day to ensure the world she leaves behind will be more equitable and understanding than it is today.
I'm Aboriginal. I'm just not the Aboriginal person a lot of people want or expect me to be.
What does it mean to be Aboriginal? Why is Australia so obsessed with notions of identity? Anita Heiss, successful author and passionate advocate for Aboriginal literacy, rights and representation, was born a member of the Wiradyuri nation of central New South Wales but was raised in the suburbs of Sydney and educated at the local Catholic school.
In this heartfelt and revealing memoir, told in her distinctive, wry style, with large doses of humour, Anita Heiss gives a firsthand account of her experiences as a woman with a Wiradyuri mother and Austrian father. Anita explains the development of her activist consciousness, how she strives to be happy and healthy, and the work she undertakes every day to ensure the world she leaves behind will be more equitable and understanding than it is today.
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 2, 2012
42 people are currently reading
1497 people want to read
About the author
Anita Heiss
39 books580 followersProfessor Anita Heiss – bio
Anita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors, publishing across genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children’s novels.
Her adult fiction includes Not Meeting Mr Right, Avoiding Mr Right, Manhattan Dreaming, Paris Dreaming and Tiddas. Her most recent books include Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms which was longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Prize and was named the University of Canberra’s 2020 Book of the Year.
The anthology Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia which Anita edited, was named the Small Publisher Adult Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Anita’s children’s literature includes Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic, co-written with Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin. She also wrote two kids’ novels with students from La Perouse Public School - Yirra and her deadly dog Demon and Demon Guards the School Yard, and more recently, Harry’s Secret and Matty’s Comeback.
Anita’s other published works also include the historical novel Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, non-fiction text Dhuuluu-Yala (To Talk Straight) – Publishing Aboriginal Literature, and The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, which she co-authored with Peter Minter.
In 2004 Anita was listed in The Bulletin magazine’s “Smart 100”. Her memoir Am I Black Enough for You? was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and she was a finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards (Local Hero).
As an advocate for Indigenous literacy, Anita has worked in remote communities as a role model and encouraging young Indigenous Australians to write their own stories. On an international level she has performed her own work and lectured on Aboriginal literature across the globe at universities and conferences, consulates and embassies in the USA, Canada, the UK, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Spain, Japan, Austria, Germany and New Zealand.
Anita is proud to be a Lifetime Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and an Ambassador of Worawa Aboriginal College, the GO Foundation and the Sydney Swans.
She is on the Board of the State Library of Queensland, CIRCA and the University of QLD Press. In 2019 Anita was appointed a Professor of Communications at the University of QLD and in 2020 is the Artist in Residence at La Boitte Theatre.
Anita’s website: www.anitaheiss.com
Storytime with Aunty Nita: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/lib...
Anita is a proud member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales, and is one of Australia’s most prolific and well-known authors, publishing across genres, including non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction and children’s novels.
Her adult fiction includes Not Meeting Mr Right, Avoiding Mr Right, Manhattan Dreaming, Paris Dreaming and Tiddas. Her most recent books include Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms which was longlisted for the Dublin International Literary Prize and was named the University of Canberra’s 2020 Book of the Year.
The anthology Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia which Anita edited, was named the Small Publisher Adult Book of the Year at the 2019 Australian Book Industry Awards.
Anita’s children’s literature includes Kicking Goals with Goodesy and Magic, co-written with Adam Goodes and Michael O’Loughlin. She also wrote two kids’ novels with students from La Perouse Public School - Yirra and her deadly dog Demon and Demon Guards the School Yard, and more recently, Harry’s Secret and Matty’s Comeback.
Anita’s other published works also include the historical novel Who Am I? The Diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, non-fiction text Dhuuluu-Yala (To Talk Straight) – Publishing Aboriginal Literature, and The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, which she co-authored with Peter Minter.
In 2004 Anita was listed in The Bulletin magazine’s “Smart 100”. Her memoir Am I Black Enough for You? was a finalist in the 2012 Human Rights Awards and she was a finalist in the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards (Local Hero).
As an advocate for Indigenous literacy, Anita has worked in remote communities as a role model and encouraging young Indigenous Australians to write their own stories. On an international level she has performed her own work and lectured on Aboriginal literature across the globe at universities and conferences, consulates and embassies in the USA, Canada, the UK, Tahiti, Fiji, New Caledonia, Spain, Japan, Austria, Germany and New Zealand.
Anita is proud to be a Lifetime Ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, and an Ambassador of Worawa Aboriginal College, the GO Foundation and the Sydney Swans.
She is on the Board of the State Library of Queensland, CIRCA and the University of QLD Press. In 2019 Anita was appointed a Professor of Communications at the University of QLD and in 2020 is the Artist in Residence at La Boitte Theatre.
Anita’s website: www.anitaheiss.com
Storytime with Aunty Nita: https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/lib...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
October 9, 2018
4★
“I don’t tell time by using the sun; rather, I tell time by Dolce and Gabbana, a gift from my late father on the first Christmas after his passing.”
This is a warm, easy-to-read book by a woman who, in spite of not needing to, seems still to be trying to justify her achievements. She earned her PhD in 2001, has written books, has travelled, and has, oh yes, maintained a close, loving relationship with her family, both Aboriginal and Austrian. Her story is mostly about her family, her growing up, and her many academic highlights.
So what? Why write a book about it?
The trigger for this particular book was a journalist naming and shaming (so he thought) 17 Aboriginal artists, accusing them of ‘choosing’ to identify as Aborigines for the sake of winning prizes and furthering their careers. He said they could have chosen to identify with another part of their genetic heritage. You know, like people might choose to become blondes because blondes have more fun.
But your family is your family and the rellies are the rellies (relatives). Anita Heiss has, in fact, been known to bleach her hair sometimes and does seem to have a lot of fun. That part IS a choice. She says she doesn’t come from the desert, or play clap sticks, or speak her traditional language.
“But my story is of the journey of being a proud Wiradjuri woman, just not necessarily being the Blackfella—the so-called ‘real Aborigine’—some people, perhaps even you, expect me to be.”
At one point she lectured to a class of international students, in Australia to “learn about the ‘Aborigines’ ”, saying:
“I don’t collect berries either, but I am collecting something from every Tiffany’s store around the world. What? We like pretty things too? Why shouldn’t we like things? As my wise friend Michael McDaniel pointed out one day, the reason we didn’t have ‘things’ in the past is because we had to carry everything; now we have cars to put ‘things’ in that carry for us. I like Tiffany’s, and there’s still plenty of room in my fast, silver convertible to fit a few more ‘collectibles.’”
Another time she explained: “Five stars are the only stars I want to sleep under.”
Obviously, Heiss wasn’t black enough to be a Blackfella in Bolt’s eyes, so in 2009, he got stuck into her and the other 16 in print.
“She, too, could identify as a member of more than one race, if joining up to any at all was important. As it happens, her decision to identify as Aboriginal, joining four other ‘Austrian Aborigines’ she knows, was lucky, given how it’s helped her career.”
Heiss earned her PhD in Media and Communication in 2001. Her success was earned. By her. A woman. A Wiradjuri woman. An Australian. The daughter of an Austrian migrant. She is all those things, and she doesn’t need to 'choose' to be anything.
So she and 8 others took Bolt to court and won. Justice Bromberg said:
“I am satisfied that fair-skinned Aboriginal people (or some of them) were reasonably likely, in all the circumstances, to have been offended, insulted, humiliated or intimidated by the imputations conveyed by the newspaper articles."
The article contained “errors of fact, distortions of the truth and inflammatory and provocative language.”
I read the original article and the many spiteful comments that followed it. The article was indeed provocative.
Race, colour, class—all of the ways we aggregate and segregate ourselves are troublesome. I have lived in country NSW and know that many of the people Bolt targets as ‘white’ would have been considered Aboriginal in their hometowns and treated as second-class. In some cities, they might be vilified as wogs, if they look more Mediterranean to the urban eye.
The fact that they can ‘pass’ as something other than Aboriginal isn’t the point. Why should they?
We simply don’t need any more hatred stirred up, and Bolt was wielding a big public spoon. I'm glad they took him on and won.
“I don’t tell time by using the sun; rather, I tell time by Dolce and Gabbana, a gift from my late father on the first Christmas after his passing.”
This is a warm, easy-to-read book by a woman who, in spite of not needing to, seems still to be trying to justify her achievements. She earned her PhD in 2001, has written books, has travelled, and has, oh yes, maintained a close, loving relationship with her family, both Aboriginal and Austrian. Her story is mostly about her family, her growing up, and her many academic highlights.
So what? Why write a book about it?
The trigger for this particular book was a journalist naming and shaming (so he thought) 17 Aboriginal artists, accusing them of ‘choosing’ to identify as Aborigines for the sake of winning prizes and furthering their careers. He said they could have chosen to identify with another part of their genetic heritage. You know, like people might choose to become blondes because blondes have more fun.
But your family is your family and the rellies are the rellies (relatives). Anita Heiss has, in fact, been known to bleach her hair sometimes and does seem to have a lot of fun. That part IS a choice. She says she doesn’t come from the desert, or play clap sticks, or speak her traditional language.
“But my story is of the journey of being a proud Wiradjuri woman, just not necessarily being the Blackfella—the so-called ‘real Aborigine’—some people, perhaps even you, expect me to be.”
At one point she lectured to a class of international students, in Australia to “learn about the ‘Aborigines’ ”, saying:
“I don’t collect berries either, but I am collecting something from every Tiffany’s store around the world. What? We like pretty things too? Why shouldn’t we like things? As my wise friend Michael McDaniel pointed out one day, the reason we didn’t have ‘things’ in the past is because we had to carry everything; now we have cars to put ‘things’ in that carry for us. I like Tiffany’s, and there’s still plenty of room in my fast, silver convertible to fit a few more ‘collectibles.’”
Another time she explained: “Five stars are the only stars I want to sleep under.”
Obviously, Heiss wasn’t black enough to be a Blackfella in Bolt’s eyes, so in 2009, he got stuck into her and the other 16 in print.
“She, too, could identify as a member of more than one race, if joining up to any at all was important. As it happens, her decision to identify as Aboriginal, joining four other ‘Austrian Aborigines’ she knows, was lucky, given how it’s helped her career.”
Heiss earned her PhD in Media and Communication in 2001. Her success was earned. By her. A woman. A Wiradjuri woman. An Australian. The daughter of an Austrian migrant. She is all those things, and she doesn’t need to 'choose' to be anything.
So she and 8 others took Bolt to court and won. Justice Bromberg said:
“I am satisfied that fair-skinned Aboriginal people (or some of them) were reasonably likely, in all the circumstances, to have been offended, insulted, humiliated or intimidated by the imputations conveyed by the newspaper articles."
The article contained “errors of fact, distortions of the truth and inflammatory and provocative language.”
I read the original article and the many spiteful comments that followed it. The article was indeed provocative.
Race, colour, class—all of the ways we aggregate and segregate ourselves are troublesome. I have lived in country NSW and know that many of the people Bolt targets as ‘white’ would have been considered Aboriginal in their hometowns and treated as second-class. In some cities, they might be vilified as wogs, if they look more Mediterranean to the urban eye.
The fact that they can ‘pass’ as something other than Aboriginal isn’t the point. Why should they?
We simply don’t need any more hatred stirred up, and Bolt was wielding a big public spoon. I'm glad they took him on and won.
April 2, 2014
I would hardly label myself as a spokesperson for the Aboriginal community of Australia, and yet last year, when I had the privilege of attending one of Dr Heiss's public speaking events, I found myself riveted- and changed- within two minutes of hearing her speak, which led me to this book. Every second sentence that comes out of her mouth is either witty or profound and she deserves to be recognised for those attributes, not for the scandal generated by people who would rather oppress progress than encourage it.
There are places to read genuine reviews of her work- not an obnoxious majority's opinion of her character, and I encourage potential readers to find them or please, read this for yourself. The very fact that this beautifully written recount of a girl's life is skewed by one-star ratings proves that there is a BIG problem. Perhaps the reviewers have never actually read a one-star book before. I've been subjected to several and I can tell you- this is not one of them.
'Am I black enough for you' is not an attack on Andrew Bolt, it is an intimate look into the life of a woman who is being made to struggle with her identity even though she knows exactly who she is, where she has come from and where she hopes to go. There is a lot of debate claiming that Dr Heiss is crippling free speech and that is utter BS. Look around the world people- everyone is saying whatever they want and those whose words garner controversy, like Andrew Bolt- are the ones being heard the loudest! If she'd crippled free speech this book would either not exist or have a much higher rating.
This book is a perfect reflection of the authoress; Eloquent, warm, light, ballsy and riveting. She is a beautiful storyteller, and her determination to rise above what has been inflicted upon her and her people at any cost is admirable. This is not someone trying to claw her way to the top with controversy- but a bright young woman attempting to lift the consciousness of a nation.
Read this. Learn from it. Grow as a person, rather than shrink from hate. This nation is in need of a severe attitude adjustment, and this is a great place to start.
There are places to read genuine reviews of her work- not an obnoxious majority's opinion of her character, and I encourage potential readers to find them or please, read this for yourself. The very fact that this beautifully written recount of a girl's life is skewed by one-star ratings proves that there is a BIG problem. Perhaps the reviewers have never actually read a one-star book before. I've been subjected to several and I can tell you- this is not one of them.
'Am I black enough for you' is not an attack on Andrew Bolt, it is an intimate look into the life of a woman who is being made to struggle with her identity even though she knows exactly who she is, where she has come from and where she hopes to go. There is a lot of debate claiming that Dr Heiss is crippling free speech and that is utter BS. Look around the world people- everyone is saying whatever they want and those whose words garner controversy, like Andrew Bolt- are the ones being heard the loudest! If she'd crippled free speech this book would either not exist or have a much higher rating.
This book is a perfect reflection of the authoress; Eloquent, warm, light, ballsy and riveting. She is a beautiful storyteller, and her determination to rise above what has been inflicted upon her and her people at any cost is admirable. This is not someone trying to claw her way to the top with controversy- but a bright young woman attempting to lift the consciousness of a nation.
Read this. Learn from it. Grow as a person, rather than shrink from hate. This nation is in need of a severe attitude adjustment, and this is a great place to start.
July 2, 2012
I'm hoping this book makes it into every library in the country. From the title I was expecting a kinda kick to the pants & heck, I'd gotten sick enough of the racism of my upbringing & the privilege of my (white) life that I figured I might just deserve it. But Heiss disarmed me on the very first page. She made the political personal, she showed the effects of racist comments (by Andrew Bolt & followers) on her family & particularly her mother. And she allowed this book to be the gentle memoir of a woman growing up a concrete Koori in Australia, exercising her Westfield Dreaming and writing 'choc lit'.
She also managed to correct some common (mostly white) misconceptions & offer the beginnings of an education. I was embarrassed to find I hadn't realised the Government was trying to change *the anti-discrimination laws* in order to execute its recent Stolen Generation Mark 2.0 (i.e. the Northern Territory intervention). Note to the government: if you're thinking about changing anti-discrimation laws in order to execute a course of action against one particular group of Australians - well, don't. It's just really obviously wrong, isn't it? I'm trying to think of a situation where it may not be wrong & I can't.
As Heiss described her journey towards political activism, I felt my own activism growing. I moved from passive to active support of reconciliation & reparation reading this book.
Plus, Heiss made me think it was possible to say that I am white & often quite ignorant - but I'm willing to learn. And if I ever come out with some patronising comment about reconciliation beginning with everyone 'hugging an Aboriginal woman today', I am assured she will correct me with compassion & care! *LOL*
She also managed to correct some common (mostly white) misconceptions & offer the beginnings of an education. I was embarrassed to find I hadn't realised the Government was trying to change *the anti-discrimination laws* in order to execute its recent Stolen Generation Mark 2.0 (i.e. the Northern Territory intervention). Note to the government: if you're thinking about changing anti-discrimation laws in order to execute a course of action against one particular group of Australians - well, don't. It's just really obviously wrong, isn't it? I'm trying to think of a situation where it may not be wrong & I can't.
As Heiss described her journey towards political activism, I felt my own activism growing. I moved from passive to active support of reconciliation & reparation reading this book.
Plus, Heiss made me think it was possible to say that I am white & often quite ignorant - but I'm willing to learn. And if I ever come out with some patronising comment about reconciliation beginning with everyone 'hugging an Aboriginal woman today', I am assured she will correct me with compassion & care! *LOL*
November 24, 2019
‘What does it mean to be Aboriginal?’
I’ve had a copy of this book sitting on my desk for a while. A comment on my review of another book by a fellow reviewer prompted me to read it. Thank you, Lisa.
Now I have read it, I’m annoyed with myself for not reading it sooner. Anita Heiss was one of nine Aboriginal people who sued Andrew Bolt. I was vaguely aware of the legal case over two articles he published in 2009 entitled ‘It's so hip to be black’ and ‘White fellas in the black’ but I hadn’t really focussed on the impact of those articles. I was pleased when Andrew Bolt was found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act in 2011 but didn’t explore it further. And now I have.
This book is Anita Heiss’s memoir on identity. It’s a considered, thoughtful and at times humorous account of her life and of the impact other people’s definitions of identity can have. It questions the stereotypes many of us have grown up with and makes it very clear that identity is both individual and complex.
‘The past is always with me as a reminder of who I am, where I have come from, why I am here and why I do what I do in my career.’
I’ve been reading quite a few books recently about history and identity. I’m acutely conscious that what I was taught in school in Tasmania about there no longer being any ‘full-blood’ Aboriginal Tasmanians is wrong. I’m aware that what I was taught was based (largely) on notions of blood quantum.
‘Throughout the western world there were and are government definitions of Aborigines based on a caste system defined by blood quantum (half-caste, quarter-caste, full-blood, quadroon). These definitions are used as a means of watering down and eliminating Aboriginal peoples in Australia .’
Indeed. What on earth does ‘full-blood’ mean? How does blood define identity any more than skin colour does? How we identify and who we identify with can be complex. And it is not up to newspaper columnists (or anyone else) to decide, on behalf of others, which groups they should belong to.
‘I know that I am who I am as Anita Marianne Heiss because of the home life I had as a child, teenager and grown woman.’
If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it. Me, I’m off to read some of Anita Heiss’s other books.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
I’ve had a copy of this book sitting on my desk for a while. A comment on my review of another book by a fellow reviewer prompted me to read it. Thank you, Lisa.
Now I have read it, I’m annoyed with myself for not reading it sooner. Anita Heiss was one of nine Aboriginal people who sued Andrew Bolt. I was vaguely aware of the legal case over two articles he published in 2009 entitled ‘It's so hip to be black’ and ‘White fellas in the black’ but I hadn’t really focussed on the impact of those articles. I was pleased when Andrew Bolt was found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act in 2011 but didn’t explore it further. And now I have.
This book is Anita Heiss’s memoir on identity. It’s a considered, thoughtful and at times humorous account of her life and of the impact other people’s definitions of identity can have. It questions the stereotypes many of us have grown up with and makes it very clear that identity is both individual and complex.
‘The past is always with me as a reminder of who I am, where I have come from, why I am here and why I do what I do in my career.’
I’ve been reading quite a few books recently about history and identity. I’m acutely conscious that what I was taught in school in Tasmania about there no longer being any ‘full-blood’ Aboriginal Tasmanians is wrong. I’m aware that what I was taught was based (largely) on notions of blood quantum.
‘Throughout the western world there were and are government definitions of Aborigines based on a caste system defined by blood quantum (half-caste, quarter-caste, full-blood, quadroon). These definitions are used as a means of watering down and eliminating Aboriginal peoples in Australia .’
Indeed. What on earth does ‘full-blood’ mean? How does blood define identity any more than skin colour does? How we identify and who we identify with can be complex. And it is not up to newspaper columnists (or anyone else) to decide, on behalf of others, which groups they should belong to.
‘I know that I am who I am as Anita Marianne Heiss because of the home life I had as a child, teenager and grown woman.’
If you haven’t read this book, I recommend it. Me, I’m off to read some of Anita Heiss’s other books.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
July 30, 2014
As Indigenous Australian, I could completely relate to this book. It gives a wonderfully honest insight into not just being Indigenous person but also a professional woman in modern day Australia.
I would like it to be noted that in no way is this book about bashing the white man or the colonisation of Australia. It is about learning how to move forward as a nation with understanding one and another.
Anita is wise beyond her years and she has helped me as an Indigenous woman see many topics from a different view but more importantly understand them.
Personally, I think it would be great if this book was in the Secondary Schools books Curriculum. I have two teenage boys and I already have one of them reading this book. I think all Australians should read this book. It is time for us all to come together as a nation.
The main lesson I learnt from Anita was instead of seeing people's differences maybe we should be looking for similarities.
I would like it to be noted that in no way is this book about bashing the white man or the colonisation of Australia. It is about learning how to move forward as a nation with understanding one and another.
Anita is wise beyond her years and she has helped me as an Indigenous woman see many topics from a different view but more importantly understand them.
Personally, I think it would be great if this book was in the Secondary Schools books Curriculum. I have two teenage boys and I already have one of them reading this book. I think all Australians should read this book. It is time for us all to come together as a nation.
The main lesson I learnt from Anita was instead of seeing people's differences maybe we should be looking for similarities.
July 6, 2012
In Am I Black Enough for You, Anita Heiss directly tackles the belittling idea that there is only one identity to be found within a specific cultural or ethnic background. With her trademark humour and razor-sharp insight, Anita gracefully explores her identity as an Aboriginal woman, and the intersecting lines of sameness and difference to the people around her. Through her own story, Anita raises numerous questions great and small as to how we all respond to this idea of ‘otherness’, and makes a succession of hard-hitting, challenging points about the narrow-minded assumptions still embedded in western society, which affect everything from the way that history is taught in schools to assuming Anita has a natural affinity for camping (and I think it’s safe to say she doesn’t!).
Anita also talks about the well-known court case where she and eight other applicants took on Andrew Bolt, who had written an article in the Herald Sun suggesting these women had used their Aboriginality to gain professional advantage. The case was won, but that was not the end of it for Anita. When Am I Black Enough for You? came out in April, I was on lockdown trying to finish my novel, but I didn’t miss what happened next. Anita was attacked on various online sites, with racist and derogatory comments, some of which I had the misfortune to read. What struck me most was the suggestion that with this victory, Anita had somehow denied the notion of free speech, when nothing could be further from the truth. In the promotion of free speech as a universal ideal, there is now, ironically, a platform for slander and misrepresentation on a staggering scale. I’m so glad that Anita and her fellow applicants didn’t allow these assertions to go unchallenged, and that they stood up for who they are and everything they have achieved. The Australian book industry wouldn’t be the same without Anita doing all she can to close gaps of communication and understanding, and telling stories to make us think and make us smile.
Anita also talks about the well-known court case where she and eight other applicants took on Andrew Bolt, who had written an article in the Herald Sun suggesting these women had used their Aboriginality to gain professional advantage. The case was won, but that was not the end of it for Anita. When Am I Black Enough for You? came out in April, I was on lockdown trying to finish my novel, but I didn’t miss what happened next. Anita was attacked on various online sites, with racist and derogatory comments, some of which I had the misfortune to read. What struck me most was the suggestion that with this victory, Anita had somehow denied the notion of free speech, when nothing could be further from the truth. In the promotion of free speech as a universal ideal, there is now, ironically, a platform for slander and misrepresentation on a staggering scale. I’m so glad that Anita and her fellow applicants didn’t allow these assertions to go unchallenged, and that they stood up for who they are and everything they have achieved. The Australian book industry wouldn’t be the same without Anita doing all she can to close gaps of communication and understanding, and telling stories to make us think and make us smile.
February 12, 2013
I read this book because I was very interested in the case where Andrew Bolt was sued for racial vilification in claiming that Anita Heiss and a number of other Aboriginal people were accused of being 'really white', 'professional Aborigines' and 'white Aborigines' As an average progressive white Australian I found his article odious in the extreme. Heiss and the others won the case.
I had hardly heard of Anita Heiss until the storm of controversy over this case. I heard her on the radio and thought she sounded interesting. The book unfortunately made her sound self obsessed.
I can understand perfectly that she would consider a book about her a complete rejoinder to the scum like Bolt. Her Aboriginality, her blackness, her blackfellaness, her Kooriness is an innate part of her, it is wrapped around and through her. She is standing up for herself, she is defending her right to define herself rather than let others define her or other Aboriginals. Fair enough and more strength to her.
What I found is that she is boring, a bit glib and dare I say it maybe a bit of a lightweight. She has right to be all those things. I think I might have screamed if I read one more time about her having pampering sessions or her fingernails being done etc, etc.
The clincher for me is the last few pages where she revealed that she drinks deeply from the well of Oprah. This is always some cross over point between the personal is political to achieving outcomes by simply having a positive faith in your own advancement.
I had hardly heard of Anita Heiss until the storm of controversy over this case. I heard her on the radio and thought she sounded interesting. The book unfortunately made her sound self obsessed.
I can understand perfectly that she would consider a book about her a complete rejoinder to the scum like Bolt. Her Aboriginality, her blackness, her blackfellaness, her Kooriness is an innate part of her, it is wrapped around and through her. She is standing up for herself, she is defending her right to define herself rather than let others define her or other Aboriginals. Fair enough and more strength to her.
What I found is that she is boring, a bit glib and dare I say it maybe a bit of a lightweight. She has right to be all those things. I think I might have screamed if I read one more time about her having pampering sessions or her fingernails being done etc, etc.
The clincher for me is the last few pages where she revealed that she drinks deeply from the well of Oprah. This is always some cross over point between the personal is political to achieving outcomes by simply having a positive faith in your own advancement.
February 26, 2013
For those not in Australia who don't know why this book has this title, it's in response to an opinion piece published in the press. Read here to get the background - http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media...
This thought provoking and often light hearted read is not an attack on the columnist who was in breach of Australia's anti discrimination laws. In fact, very little is written about the court case. Instead it addresses the notion of identity and what it means to be the individual known as Anita Heiss.
It also partly acts as a manifesto on the way Indigenous Australia should, by now, be much more recognised within Australian society. One of my favourite observations (which I've marked by folding the corner of the page) points out that 'Aboriginal history' should be categorised as events that happened before 1788, and not by events that happened to Indigenous people post colonisation. As Anita quite rightly says "Aboriginals didn't massacre themselves...we didn't remove children", as that is Austalian history.
There's some lovely insights into Anita's daily life including how she is expected to be an expert on anything to do with Aboriginal Australia. Whitefellas presume her to be the know-all spokeswoman time and time again. We also learn of her lack of passion for camping or 'going bush' and that she is more of an Eva Gabor (think 'Green Acres') than an Eddie Albert.
So by addressing these notions of identity from Anita's family stories; her cultural identity (both as an Indigenous Australian and a keen observer and advocate of Indigenous Australians); her love of doing girly things like socialising and shopping; and her personal philosophies, she addresses the misguided musings of the columnist subtly and indirectly, with grace and wisdom.
This thought provoking and often light hearted read is not an attack on the columnist who was in breach of Australia's anti discrimination laws. In fact, very little is written about the court case. Instead it addresses the notion of identity and what it means to be the individual known as Anita Heiss.
It also partly acts as a manifesto on the way Indigenous Australia should, by now, be much more recognised within Australian society. One of my favourite observations (which I've marked by folding the corner of the page) points out that 'Aboriginal history' should be categorised as events that happened before 1788, and not by events that happened to Indigenous people post colonisation. As Anita quite rightly says "Aboriginals didn't massacre themselves...we didn't remove children", as that is Austalian history.
There's some lovely insights into Anita's daily life including how she is expected to be an expert on anything to do with Aboriginal Australia. Whitefellas presume her to be the know-all spokeswoman time and time again. We also learn of her lack of passion for camping or 'going bush' and that she is more of an Eva Gabor (think 'Green Acres') than an Eddie Albert.
So by addressing these notions of identity from Anita's family stories; her cultural identity (both as an Indigenous Australian and a keen observer and advocate of Indigenous Australians); her love of doing girly things like socialising and shopping; and her personal philosophies, she addresses the misguided musings of the columnist subtly and indirectly, with grace and wisdom.
June 5, 2012
Everyone should read this. That is all :)
July 31, 2017
For non-Aboriginals, Anita Heiss adds a new dimension to the understanding of just what "Aboriginal" means to those who identify as such. As a Kiwi, I saw many of the same kinds of criticism (not black enough) levelled against those who identified as Maori if they didn't "look" Maori. The simple fact is, in a multi-cultural and multi-dimensional country, people of mixed race are the norm, and it is - and should be - their prerogative as to how they identify. The detractors, who intimate that identification is reward/financially based, would do well to delve into their own genealogy. They may be surprised at what they discover.
At the heart of the book is the story of the court case against Andrew Bolt for his racist remarks criticising Heiss for identifying as Aboriginal because, according to Bolt, this "helped her career". As the reader becomes enmeshed in Heiss' childhood, adolescence and beyond, it is clear to see that Heiss did not ever need to "decide" to identify as Aboriginal - she IS Aboriginal, and no amount of spin by people like Bolt can change that.
Heiss writes clearly and with feeling. Her descriptive passages based on her childhood memories are endearing, and her recollections of past activist activities encourage further research by the reader. She has been and is a role model not just for young Aboriginals but for anyone wishing to advance in a difficult environment.
This book does much to bridge the gap in comprehension of the difficulties of being judged on appearances alone.
At the heart of the book is the story of the court case against Andrew Bolt for his racist remarks criticising Heiss for identifying as Aboriginal because, according to Bolt, this "helped her career". As the reader becomes enmeshed in Heiss' childhood, adolescence and beyond, it is clear to see that Heiss did not ever need to "decide" to identify as Aboriginal - she IS Aboriginal, and no amount of spin by people like Bolt can change that.
Heiss writes clearly and with feeling. Her descriptive passages based on her childhood memories are endearing, and her recollections of past activist activities encourage further research by the reader. She has been and is a role model not just for young Aboriginals but for anyone wishing to advance in a difficult environment.
This book does much to bridge the gap in comprehension of the difficulties of being judged on appearances alone.
August 1, 2013
I really, really enjoyed this book. I learnt a lot, which is the very reason the author wrote it in the first place - to teach, to share knowledge. I found the level of detail sometimes detracted from the imagery BUT I believe I know precisely why that level of detail was there, for I have received similar comments myself. When we write to set the record straight or to detail controversial topics we include the detail to make damn sure people are aware of the facts and those facts are harder for detractors to misrepresent or dispute for their own purposes.
This book was written in part to answer the accusations made by a particular columnist in Australia who should have just written nothing, but ended up in court for his "views" and rightly lost the case. The book is not light entertainment, it is the facts of one woman's life. Facts that illustrate the battle of a people to be visible in their own country, their own land.
I can never work a mile in the author's shoes, but I have a much greater appreciation of how those shoes feel now.
There were peeks at humour which I would have liked to see more of, but I am aware that may have undermined the purpose a little. What those glimpses of humour have suggested to me is that I should read some of the author's fiction, where I might find her humour in full flight.
My recommendation? Read Am I Black Enough For You? You will be glad you did.
This book was written in part to answer the accusations made by a particular columnist in Australia who should have just written nothing, but ended up in court for his "views" and rightly lost the case. The book is not light entertainment, it is the facts of one woman's life. Facts that illustrate the battle of a people to be visible in their own country, their own land.
I can never work a mile in the author's shoes, but I have a much greater appreciation of how those shoes feel now.
There were peeks at humour which I would have liked to see more of, but I am aware that may have undermined the purpose a little. What those glimpses of humour have suggested to me is that I should read some of the author's fiction, where I might find her humour in full flight.
My recommendation? Read Am I Black Enough For You? You will be glad you did.
July 15, 2012
I was going to start this review with some ruminations about what makes people self-righteous or how I don’t understand how anyone could enjoy making a career out of being a spiteful shock-jock; I had also thought to share my puzzlement about why media proprietors would want to be associated with such people and programs. But I’ve decided not to. The catalyst for Am I Black Enough For You? by Dr Anita Heiss may well have had been some unpleasant redneck media commentary, but I don’t want the focus to be on them, I want it to be on Anita, one of our most impressive public intellectuals and an author of good grace and humour.
Everyone knows that Reconciliation with Australia’s indigenous people is a challenge: we haven’t come to terms with Australia’s Black History and too many indigenous people suffer racism and extreme disadvantage. But that is not the whole story, and part of the story that Anita Heiss wants to tell is that there are urban Aborigines living successful lives which are enriched by their culture. Her ‘mission’ is to make the wider community aware that Aboriginality is diverse and that fair-skinned, successful, educated, middle-class women like her are part of it.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2013/04/06/am...
Everyone knows that Reconciliation with Australia’s indigenous people is a challenge: we haven’t come to terms with Australia’s Black History and too many indigenous people suffer racism and extreme disadvantage. But that is not the whole story, and part of the story that Anita Heiss wants to tell is that there are urban Aborigines living successful lives which are enriched by their culture. Her ‘mission’ is to make the wider community aware that Aboriginality is diverse and that fair-skinned, successful, educated, middle-class women like her are part of it.
To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2013/04/06/am...
August 12, 2012
I was really drawn to this book because my daughter is also a ‘fair skinned’ Aboriginal person and also because I despise journalist Andrew Bolt and I was interested to read of Heiss’s experience in taking him to court for racial discrimination. I was disappointed on this front because Am I Black Enough for You? doesn’t talk much about the court case at all. Heiss talks about her personal history and that of her family, as well as her more immediate history but she barely mentions the court case in comparison. I enjoyed the first half of Am I Black Enough For You but the second half because somewhat repetitive and read more like a personal CV than a memoir. It because tiresome hearing how much Heiss detests camping over and over again – I heard you the first time, Anita! If I was judging the book on the first half alone I would probably award 4 out of 5 stars but taking the second half into consideration drags the score down to 2, maybe 2.5 out of 5 stars, which saddens me because I really wanted to enjoy the whole book. Oh well. 2.5/5 stars.
February 3, 2017
There is a lot to like in this set of memoirs. Anita Heiss gives the reader a great example of how Aborigines view themselves and the rest of the people who call Australia home (especially the Anglo-Australian male).
Her motivation for writing was in response to the now notorious article "It's so hip to be black" and the subsequent court case. Some of the best writing was in the chapters devoted to this issue.
The rest of the book is a series of chapters of Heiss's family and life so far. Some of these chapters need a bit of an edit as they flip flop about covering some new ground some old and vice versa. However, Heiss's mother and grandmother have sad and brave stories which needed to be told as does Heiss and her understanding as to her past, her successes (and those of many other Aborigines) and her thoughts on Australia's history, people and future.
Her motivation for writing was in response to the now notorious article "It's so hip to be black" and the subsequent court case. Some of the best writing was in the chapters devoted to this issue.
The rest of the book is a series of chapters of Heiss's family and life so far. Some of these chapters need a bit of an edit as they flip flop about covering some new ground some old and vice versa. However, Heiss's mother and grandmother have sad and brave stories which needed to be told as does Heiss and her understanding as to her past, her successes (and those of many other Aborigines) and her thoughts on Australia's history, people and future.
March 25, 2016
If an autobiography makes you feel like you've walked in the shoes of the writer for a little while, and teaches you something about yourself and the history of your country, that counts as a win in my book.
In her memoir, Am I Black Enough for you?, Anita Heiss explores what it's like to be an urban Aboriginal - growing up in the suburbs of Sydney with an Aboriginal mum and an Austrian dad. She talks about her work, her activism and her life as a non-camping, Black Australian woman who loves buying shoes and Tiffany's jewellery.
I loved the anecdotal style of the writing which simultaneously teaches and entertains. Highly recommended.
In her memoir, Am I Black Enough for you?, Anita Heiss explores what it's like to be an urban Aboriginal - growing up in the suburbs of Sydney with an Aboriginal mum and an Austrian dad. She talks about her work, her activism and her life as a non-camping, Black Australian woman who loves buying shoes and Tiffany's jewellery.
I loved the anecdotal style of the writing which simultaneously teaches and entertains. Highly recommended.
January 17, 2015
An accessible book about REALLY important issues. Especially given current discussions about free speech and 18c, this should be required reading. It certainly will be, at least parts of it, for my own students. Heiss discusses complex issues like identity, place, structure/agency, and racism in a way that makes it feel as if you're sitting at a cafe chatting to her. I don't agree 100% with her, but her overall message is bang on.
July 29, 2022
Brilliant. Essential reading for non-indigenous Australians. Would recommend the updated 10 year anniversary edition.
April 9, 2012
This memoir covers both Heiss' experience as a "concrete Koori" living in Sydney, her life while maintaining a focus on her reaction to Andrew Bolt's attack on her identity and racial background and the subsequent legal proceedings.
The identity issues associated with being an urban Indigenous dweller are unpacked and explored with a relatable tone that is both appealing and educating. For me, the best part of this book is that it is easily read, there are some brilliant discussion points and as a soon to be high school teacher there are some great "teachable moments" that can be drawn from the pages.
The identity issues associated with being an urban Indigenous dweller are unpacked and explored with a relatable tone that is both appealing and educating. For me, the best part of this book is that it is easily read, there are some brilliant discussion points and as a soon to be high school teacher there are some great "teachable moments" that can be drawn from the pages.
April 7, 2012
I really need time to digest this one. Needless to say, this book shall hence forth be known as the book that changed/inspired and moved me in a place so deep I have yet to find the words to describe it and I hope to someday soon write the review that does it justice.
June 29, 2012
Courageous, funny, openly honest. This memoir engaged me from the first word - I read it in three days!
September 15, 2013
I loved Anita's story about growing up as a 'concrete koori'. She rises above mean-spirited people with grace, humour and a lot of style. A feisty role model for all women.
February 1, 2016
This book is like eating raw celery. It's tough and bland (in some points) but you know it's good for you so try it anyway.
This book was a really tough read, best thing I can say is I tried (I cheated and skipped through about 50 pages because I couldn't care less about how she met all her lunch dates and academic friends).
However, if you do weave through all the unnecessary backstories to all of Anita's friends and the countless conference's she gets invited to there is some golden points in this book that have changed my views on Aboriginal issues:
1. It doesn't matter if an aboriginal is black or white, as long as they identify themselves as aboriginal.
2. "I'm sleeping in a hotel, you can be as cold and black as you like" HAHAHA. You can hate camping and be aboriginal.
3. Andrew Bolt is a tosser.
4. A Koori is a generic name for a NSW/VIC aboriginal person. A Murri is a generic name for a QLD aboriginal person. DO NOT GET THEM CONFUSED.
5. The "White" Aboriginals who work in the aboriginal community are not trying to claim benefits. They are working for FOR the community and in moving forward as a community.
6. Everyone needs to realise Aboriginals are no longer black, desert ridden, petrol sniffers. They're modernizing and breaking the stereotype just like everybody else in the world.
Is that what you were getting at Anita?
Perfect for the racist relative.
This book was a really tough read, best thing I can say is I tried (I cheated and skipped through about 50 pages because I couldn't care less about how she met all her lunch dates and academic friends).
However, if you do weave through all the unnecessary backstories to all of Anita's friends and the countless conference's she gets invited to there is some golden points in this book that have changed my views on Aboriginal issues:
1. It doesn't matter if an aboriginal is black or white, as long as they identify themselves as aboriginal.
2. "I'm sleeping in a hotel, you can be as cold and black as you like" HAHAHA. You can hate camping and be aboriginal.
3. Andrew Bolt is a tosser.
4. A Koori is a generic name for a NSW/VIC aboriginal person. A Murri is a generic name for a QLD aboriginal person. DO NOT GET THEM CONFUSED.
5. The "White" Aboriginals who work in the aboriginal community are not trying to claim benefits. They are working for FOR the community and in moving forward as a community.
6. Everyone needs to realise Aboriginals are no longer black, desert ridden, petrol sniffers. They're modernizing and breaking the stereotype just like everybody else in the world.
Is that what you were getting at Anita?
Perfect for the racist relative.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2015
Perfectly articulated and incredibly touching life story that informs and edifies!
The backdrop of the memoir is the very public racial discrimination trial she participated in. Held in Melbourne a few years ago, the trial focused on a journalist who challenged a number of public figures on their Indigenous identities and motives. I won't give away the outcome of the trial which brought findings celebrated across the country (and probably some commiserations). It's treated very sensitively here, with some remarkable moments where Heiss' background information on culture and identity is brought into sharp relief against a legal system and a broader general public that, at times, struggles to comprehend identity and belonging for Aboriginal Peoples.
The joy of reading this is that Heiss manages to turn events that could have been solely angst-ridden and dry into a touching and often funny celebration of life, identity, family and community. Since its release I've used the text in my lecturing (communications) and it works as a brilliant case-study on the importance of getting the facts right in journalism, on the power of a collective working together, and on the influence and motives of the justice system and the media.
The backdrop of the memoir is the very public racial discrimination trial she participated in. Held in Melbourne a few years ago, the trial focused on a journalist who challenged a number of public figures on their Indigenous identities and motives. I won't give away the outcome of the trial which brought findings celebrated across the country (and probably some commiserations). It's treated very sensitively here, with some remarkable moments where Heiss' background information on culture and identity is brought into sharp relief against a legal system and a broader general public that, at times, struggles to comprehend identity and belonging for Aboriginal Peoples.
The joy of reading this is that Heiss manages to turn events that could have been solely angst-ridden and dry into a touching and often funny celebration of life, identity, family and community. Since its release I've used the text in my lecturing (communications) and it works as a brilliant case-study on the importance of getting the facts right in journalism, on the power of a collective working together, and on the influence and motives of the justice system and the media.
November 7, 2013
Sometimes you read something that makes you think. Or laugh. Or feel absurdly pleased with things. Or maybe ashamed. Am I Black Enough For You? covered all those bases with me.
I find it a joy to read something that is so easy to read. I don’t mean simple or dumbed down. I mean well written in a conversational style as if you were sitting down having a yarn with the author over a cuppa. And that is precisely what I found Am I Black Enough For You? A great part of the charm was the wit, wry humour blended with reflection and Heiss’s own exploration of issues. And yes, there is some anger in there as well.
The engaging conversational approach to the writing did more than leave me feeling as if Anita had been talking with me. It also left I with a desire to just sit down and talk about stuff with her, things we have in common, things we disagree on. And it is a rare thing for me to be left with that sense of engagement. All up, a thoroughly engaging read that a helluva lot of Australians should be reading.
Thoroughly recommended.
I find it a joy to read something that is so easy to read. I don’t mean simple or dumbed down. I mean well written in a conversational style as if you were sitting down having a yarn with the author over a cuppa. And that is precisely what I found Am I Black Enough For You? A great part of the charm was the wit, wry humour blended with reflection and Heiss’s own exploration of issues. And yes, there is some anger in there as well.
The engaging conversational approach to the writing did more than leave me feeling as if Anita had been talking with me. It also left I with a desire to just sit down and talk about stuff with her, things we have in common, things we disagree on. And it is a rare thing for me to be left with that sense of engagement. All up, a thoroughly engaging read that a helluva lot of Australians should be reading.
Thoroughly recommended.
January 3, 2013
Anita Heiss claims the right to be herself.
One of the fundamentals about books is how they allow us to see through another’s eyes. In this part memoir, part polemic, part primer on Indigenous Australia, Anita Heiss gives a sharp, funny, moving account of what it’s like to be an educated, urban Aboriginal woman with an Austrian father, and the freight of expectations that come with that.
The book’s genesis lies in the court case that Heiss and eight others brought against News Ltd columnist and blogger Andrew Bolt. In 2009 Bolt published a nationally syndicated column claiming that Heiss and other ‘light-skinned’ Aborigines had ‘chosen’ to identify as Aboriginal for the benefit of their careers. The column made specific claims about Heiss, her family and her professional life that were false. Read full review here:
http://newtownreviewofbooks.com/2012/...
One of the fundamentals about books is how they allow us to see through another’s eyes. In this part memoir, part polemic, part primer on Indigenous Australia, Anita Heiss gives a sharp, funny, moving account of what it’s like to be an educated, urban Aboriginal woman with an Austrian father, and the freight of expectations that come with that.
The book’s genesis lies in the court case that Heiss and eight others brought against News Ltd columnist and blogger Andrew Bolt. In 2009 Bolt published a nationally syndicated column claiming that Heiss and other ‘light-skinned’ Aborigines had ‘chosen’ to identify as Aboriginal for the benefit of their careers. The column made specific claims about Heiss, her family and her professional life that were false. Read full review here:
http://newtownreviewofbooks.com/2012/...
April 25, 2017
An important read for all Australians, to work on our understanding of Australia's First People, the inherent racism that taints our nation, and the reality of Indigenous Australia's gap experience.
The distinction of First People, rather then Indigenous and Aboriginal - the importance of Welcome to Country - the sharing of connection to Nation and people - the challenge of stereotyping and living as a modern Black woman in Australia: all such powerful insights.
The powerful reminder of the lack of education in our schools about real Australian history hit home.
A must read for all Australians!
The distinction of First People, rather then Indigenous and Aboriginal - the importance of Welcome to Country - the sharing of connection to Nation and people - the challenge of stereotyping and living as a modern Black woman in Australia: all such powerful insights.
The powerful reminder of the lack of education in our schools about real Australian history hit home.
A must read for all Australians!
December 28, 2012
A memoir book written by a writer and more enjoyable for this very reason. After learning about white privilege versus aboriginal inequity, it was interesting to hear a different perspective, i.e. Anita's aboriginal AND privileged upbringing. A very enjoyable read. It was an easy yet thought provoking read.
June 1, 2016
Loved the first quarter of the book but found it started to lose momentum. Nevertheless this is a valuable read on what it means to be Aboriginal, about the harsh and ignorant judgements made by others, and the need for all Australians to recognise, learn about and take pride in our Aboriginal history.
December 9, 2012
Well worth reading. Confronting but also enlightening. I actually almost abandoned the book by page 160, the haranguing became so intense. But after an interlude with a much lighter book I returned, and actually enjoyed the last half of the book.
May 14, 2015
Interesting memoir that takes us into the life of "an urban, beachside Blackfella, a concrete Koori with Westfield Dreaming". A world away from the typical documentary, media focuses, Anita reveals her life to better our understanding of dynamic and diverse first people's of the land.
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