SBS asks Australia to Face Up to Racism
Wednesday 1 February 2017
News Release
One in five Australians have experienced racism in the last 12 months according to one of the biggest ever surveys conducted on racism and prejudice in Australia, commissioned by SBS with the Western Sydney University*.
The survey was undertaken for a new SBS documentary, Is Australia Racist?, one of a number of programs to be shown on SBS from Sunday 26 February to Sunday 5 March as a part of Face Up To Racism week - a week during which SBS will explore, expand and challenge Australia's understanding of racism and prejudice today.
Other findings from the survey which delve into Australia's varied attitudes and experiences with racism include:
* nearly a third of those surveyed said they experienced racism within their workplace
* 35% said they have experienced racism on public transport or on the street
* almost a third said they have experienced racism within an educational facility
* nearly half of Indigenous respondents said they experienced racism at sporting events.
However, most people surveyed agreed that it is a positive thing that Australia be made up of different cultures - and that they would face up to discrimination in society if they encountered it.
Face Up To Racism week begins on SBS on Sunday 26 February at 8.30pm with Ray Martin investigating the question: Is Australia Racist? This one hour documentary puts the survey findings from Western Sydney University into action through a series of hidden camera social experiments, capturing the experience of racism through the eyes of those who have suffered it.
The results are at times confronting, but Is Australia Racist? also reveals inspiring Australians facing up to racism and standing up when witnessing discrimination.
On Monday 27 February at 8.30pm on SBS, Date My Race explores the role race plays in finding love, and reveals Australia's surprising patterns when it comes to online dating and racial preferences.
It's a personal theme for 30 year old African-Australian journalist and host Santilla Chingaipe, who is on the hunt for love. With a smorgasbord of potential mates a swipe away, she is having little luck with online dating, and wonders if it is the colour of her skin that is sabotaging her chances.
This playful, surprising and often funny look at modern dating will challenge Australians to think about what drives their own romantic attraction and connection, asking the question: when looking for love, does having racial preferences amount to racism?
On Wednesday 1 March at 8.30pm, The Truth About Racism uses science to challenge the way we think about racism. Scientists have made breakthroughs in understanding the neuroscience behind racism, and can now detect unconscious racial bias in the brain.
Host Yassmin Abdel-Magied, a Sudanese-born Muslim-Australian, along with four volunteers from different ethnic backgrounds, undergo a series of scientific psychological tests during the documentary, including experiments involving facial recognition, empathy and pain, and split second fear responses to try and find out if racial bias is inevitable, if it can be consciously overridden, and if brains can even be re-trained.
In addition to these three new documentaries, SBS's flagship news and current affairs program Insight will explore the subject of cultural sensitivity in a special program on Tuesday 28 February from 8.30pm. Recent calls to change the date on which we celebrate Australia Day, and questions around whether or not the word Christmas' should be featured on public banners, are just some topics that have recently prompted national debate. Insight asks if as a multicultural nation, Australia has a responsibility to allow migrants to continue their cultural practices, how should we navigate what causes offence to certain cultural groups, and how far should we go when considering cultural sensitivity.
These challenging new programs will be supported for the entire week by a range of other stories, discussions and programs exploring race and prejudice across the SBS network, including through SBS news and current affairs, across SBS Radio, and on SBS VICELAND, NITV and SBS On Demand, as well as online. More information will be available in the coming weeks.
With a week of thought-provoking programs and discussion, SBS is asking Australians to Face Up to Racism to encourage greater understanding, inspire change and support an inclusive Australia.
Join the conversation on social media: #FU2Racism
Is Australia Racist?, The Truth About Racism and Date My Race are all available for screening on the SBS Media Centre www.sbs.com.au/mediacentre
##Ends##
Trailer for media use: https://youtu.be/U6BQdt08iMs
*ABOUT THE SURVEY
The Is Australia Racist?' survey was conducted by Professor Kevin Dunn at Western Sydney University.
An online survey, using a commercial survey provider, of a total of 6001 Australians examined attitudes to cultural difference, tolerance of specific groups, ideology of nation, perceptions of Anglo-Celtic privilege, belief in racism, racial separatism and racial hierarchy, and experiences of racism.
Most recent headlines
01/01/2026
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Announces 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship The scholarship will cover tuition and housing for one Berklee College of Music stud...
01/01/2026
New year, new games, all with RTX 5080-powered cloud energy. GeForce NOW is kicking off 2026 by looking back at an unforgettable year of wins and wildly high fr...
31/12/2025
Back to All News
NFL Christmas Gameday on Netflix Scores Again With the Lions-V...
30/12/2025
As the College Football Playoff Enters the Quarterfinals, ESPN Blows Out Its Meg...
30/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Original ArticlesTake a look back at all our coverage of big-time productions, game-changing technologies, and state-of-the-art new faci...
30/12/2025
MELBOURNE, Fla., Dec. 30, 2025 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE: LHX) will release its fourth quarter 2025 financial results before the market opens on Thursday, J...
30/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
30/12/2025
It marked the first civilian operational authorization for a HAPS flight in Europe, led by Space42's subsidiary, Mira Aerospace
The flight demonstrated HAP...
29/12/2025
San Francisco 49ers Strike Gold With Halftime Laser SpectacularStunning display caps $200 million renovation of Levi's Stadium techBy Dan Daley, Audio Edito...
29/12/2025
The Cup's Around the Corner: An Inside Look at Broadcast Preparations for th...
29/12/2025
SVG's Best of 2025: Longform VideoWatch the standout keynote conversations, deep dives, and panel discussions from the year for free on SVG PLAY!By Brandon ...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
29/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today!By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
P...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
SBS asks Australia to Face Up to Racism
