Rob Thomas will meet with indigenous photographer Barbara McGrady in Sydney this week to learn more about Aboriginal culture in Australia his poorly worked comments in Melbourne on Saturday night that came across as racist.
Thomas said, “I drank so much that I thought I was a black Australian” at the opening night of his Australian tour at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
The out of character comment shocked many in the audience.
Rob Thomas Insults Indigenous Australians And Owes Australia An Apology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds61rl5x7u8
Earlier this evening Thomas released a further statement to put context into his poorly thought through “joke”.
“I would like to take an opportunity to further explain the comments I made in Melbourne last night.
“First, please understand that I did not intend to make a joke ABOUT race. I have seen people comment that after coming here for so long I should know that there is a connection between the indigenous peoples of Australia and a stereotype involving drinking.
“Embarrassingly, I truly didn’t.
“The joke I made was meant to be at no one’s expense but my own. I made a comment about drinking so much on the long flight over that i started to think i was something i’m not.
“I said I drank until I thought I was Australian. Then I drank so much that I thought I was a black Australian and then I drank so much I thought I was a little Australian girl. These were 3 things I chose at random to represent 3 things I’m not. I’m not Australian. I’m not black and I’m not a little girl. Again, if I had any idea of the stereotype I would have chosen another example. There was absolutely no malice even in jest.
“I was so ignorant to the situation that when I heard people groan I actually thought THEY were being racist. I didn’t know until TODAY that just the phrase ‘black Australian’ was racist all on it’s own. I sat in my room and I cried when I found out.
“If I had said it anywhere in the world my intention would have been the same. To relate 3 seemingly unrelated things that I’m not. Things that have no connection to any stereotypes whatsoever.
I am truly sorry for how this came across, most of all to the indigenous people here. Australia has been so good to me for so long that I’m embarrassed I don’t know more about the history and the culture.
“While I’m here I’m going to use this opportunity to rectify that. I promise you this!
I would like to take an opportunity to further explain the comments I made in Melbourne last night. First, please…
Posted by Rob Thomas on Sunday, 21 February 2016
Thomas has agreed to meet with Indigenous photographer Barbara McGrady to learn more about the Aboriginal culture.
Rob Thomas has agreed to a meet up in Sydney. https://t.co/K8Tw3f9pPJ
— Barbara McGrady (@BarbsMac2144) February 21, 2016
The Rob Thomas Australian tour continues onto Canberra Monday, 22 February 2016.
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