The past 10 weeks have been an intense rollercoaster of emotions for Studio 10 host Kerri-Anne Kennerley.
Just days after thousands of protesters marched the streets on Australia Day, arguing for this national day of celebration to be moved from January 26, Kerri-Anne was slammed as racist over comments she made about Indigenous Australians.
Then, her beloved husband John sadly died last month, a heartbreak the 65-year-old says will take a long time to recover from.
And now, she’s visited a remote indigenous community in Alice Springs, to find out exactly what Aboriginal women thought of her comments.
During her now infamous fight with fellow Studio 10 panellist Yumi Stynes, Kerri-Anne argued that people protesting against Australia Day, in support of the discrimination and marginalisation of Indigenous people, had probably never actually been out into a remove Aboriginal community.
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“OK, the 5000 people who went through the streets making their points known, saying how inappropriate the day is … Has any single one of those people been out to the outback, where children, babies, five-year-olds are being raped? Their mothers are being raped, their sisters are being raped. They get no education. What have you done?” she asked.
“These people are desperate for help. Aboriginal elder women are desperate for help, and they’re not getting it. Where are these people (other than) one day of the year? You’d be better off doing something positive,” she continued.
Kerri-Anne and Yumi went head-to-head on Studio 10 in January. (Image: Channel 10)
In response, Yumi Stynes said: “That is not even faintly true, Kerri-Anne. You’re sounding quite racist right now.”
“I’m offended by that Yumi,” Kerri-Anne replied, to which Yumi said: “Well keep going then, because every time you open your mouth you’re sounding racist.”
Kennerley responded: “I am seriously offended by that, Yumi. SERIOUSLY offended.”
Watch the moment Yumi Stynes called Kerri-Anne a racist on Studio 10. Story continues after video.
Now, Kerri-Anne has put her money where her mouth is and has travelled to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to meet with Indigenous women whose lives have been impacted by domestic violence.
Kerri-Anne was invited to spend time with local women to talk about the efforts and inroads they’ve made to curb family violence.
“I’m here to listen and to learn,” Kerri-Anne said during the segment, which aired on Studio 10 on Tuesday morning.
She met Shirleen Campbell, a woman who at age 36 is already a grandmother.
Most of the women in Shirleen’s life have experienced extreme violence, including two of her aunties who were recently killed by their partners. Her own mother was killed in 2003 when a fight broke out in the car she was driving.
“We’re sick of it,” Shirleen told Kerri-Anne. “We’re parents now, we need to end it. I don’t want them to have no mum.”
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Kerri-Anne and local woman Shirleen Campbell. (Image: Channel 10)
More recently, two of Shirleen’s aunties were murdered by their partners. Her mother was killed in 2003 when a fight broke out in the car she was driving.
Shirleen has set up a women’s group, with the aim of reducing domestic violence and improving the lives of indigenous women.
Kerri-Anne met with many of these women, hearing their stories and understanding just how hard the cycle of abuse is to break.
At one point, she asked for Shirleen’s forgiveness for what she said about the “Change The Date” protesters.
“Do you forgive me?” Kerri-Anne asked. “It was never meant to be offensive.”
“Yeah, I do,” Shirleen said with a laugh. “We’re all women and human at the end of the day.”
Kerri-Anne with a group of Indigenous Alice Spring women.
But despite learning more about the realities of life for Aboriginal women, Kerri-Anne says she still doesn’t regret what she said on Studio 10.
“The fact I stated is that Aboriginal women and children are being abused. That is absolutely correct and right,” Kerri-Anne said on the segment.
“I understand it may have been a bit clunky and I’m a white person saying it. That doesn’t mean it’s not true.”
