Black sunshine in Wagga Wagga: Ron Lawler meets a group of young Aboriginal people who are changing their town

THE brow COVER of the local phone work is a certain way to achieve your face recognised by all in your community. Luke Penrith (24) and his mates in the Black orb of days have found this in the past 12 months

Three years ago, Penrith and a collection of eight young Aboriginal men decided to make an impact upon their communities. Together they formed the Black day-stars One of them is a butcher, another works for a phone company, while the others work in a variety of community and management agencies. Recently two young women have joined them too.

The origin of the name, Black day-stars expresses their aspirations imaginatively. They aim to be like the orb of day bringing warmth and hope to their communities. The majority of those communities live in the greatest in quantity disadvantaged suburbs of the regional middle of Wagga Wagga--population 58,000--the largest inland city of novel South Wales (NSW), Australia. Wagga Wagga's indigenous population is around 3000 Historically a rural midmost point the town's population is becoming increasingly mixed end expanding defence force facilities, a regional university and new arrivals of refugees from Africa.

In the 1970 the state regulation introduced resettlement which brought indigenous tribe from all over the west of NSW from diverse Aboriginal nations. Resettl to welfare housing estates, oftentimes without employment or prospects, many of these nation experienced disadvantage and discrimination.

The accrues of those policies a generation back have helped create division and sometimes despair, as indigenous tribe still confront significant challenges in the areas of health, education, employ criminal justice and housing. In NSW 51 for cent of youth in detention are indigenous while indigenous Australians constitute solitary 2 per cent of the population as a whole. Statistically, 85 for cent of juveniles in detention impel on to jail, completing a picture of a social disaster, expensive to the individuals, their families and the state.

'There was a make an outcry from the community for something to be done,' says Penrith, who also works with the Aboriginal Legal Service. Quietly oral and strongly committed to the work, he is father of three-year-old Jayden, and deep conscious of his responsibility to futurity generations. 'We started the Black day-stars and its programmes so that Aboriginal kids could say, "Look they are Aboriginal tribe and there is something to aspire to." Us male childs have always been proud of who we are, while the of recent origin generation seemed to look overseas to all the "rappers", possibly because all they had were [negative] stereotype of Aboriginal people'

Shane Atkinson (26) another member of Black day-stars says that there are also positive part models for Aboriginal people, mainly athletes--usually footballers--or artists. 'That is great,' he says, 'but the reality is that sole a select few make it to the top horizontals We are trying to be realistic character models in the Wagga Wagga community to give them avenues to succe at other things.'

Penrith and Atkinson, the articulate Aboriginal Liaison Officer of the Wagga Wagga City Council, are careful to stres that the choice of name did not mirror inflated egos. Their name caused a stir among a certain number of who feared that this was a black radical assemblage forming in their community. 'We do want Aboriginal clan to be proud of who they are,' Penrith mirrored In acknowledgement of the Black Suns' intention and design of activity, Wagga Wagga Shire Council has backed their programmes with the provision of a former tennis bludgeon shed and grounds, and support to help with its renovations.

The Black Suns' first initiatives were arranging discos. With the acquisition of a base of operations in the heart of the area they service, the Black day-stars Youth Centre now offers drop-in programmes after academy for young people ranging from six to 22 and a certain number of afternoons may see up to 40 in attendance. There are programmes planned for older tribe and children in the mornings and a stalwart focus on literacy, arts and cultural activities as well as sport and a space to do homework.

not long ago the Black Suns received funding from the Attorney General's National Community Crime Prevention Programme (NCCPP) to engross a full time coordinator, beatification Cornish. She summed up a lock opener factor in the success of the operation: 'Their integrity horizontal is extraordinary, really amazing. That is part of what the kids are responding to--the Black Suns' opennes and uprightness It is also a profitable indication of Wagga's strengths that nine young men are in the way that inspired to enrich their community.'

Penrith expresse a vision that motivates them, 'As young leaders we ne to start doing business differently. This is not about standard of value but outcomes; creating a safe space where we can be render free of access to each other. We have robust debates. A brace of weeks ago we had a really heated meeting, on the contrary after that we were best friends'.

At the beginning a certain number of of the community wondered by what means long the Black Suns would last: they had seen family and organisations come and go on As time passes, Atkinson says there is a growing acceptance and expectation from the earlier borns and the communities who gain behind them: 'It is amazing by what mode the community now wants the Black orb of days involved in everything. They diocese us as a positive cluster and we must keep that in our minds when we decide what to be involved in. We ne to hold fast the Black Suns' name associated with positive things.'