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Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture 2025 | Australian Human Rights Commission
Join us as we mark 50 years since the passage of Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act at our annual Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture. A keynote will be delivered by Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman, followed by a lively panel discussion about legal and policy reform needed to address racism across workplaces, and the education and justice sectors.
Panelists will include:
- Sally McManus, Secretary Australian Council of Trade Unions
- Jeswynn Yogaratnam, Commissioner, Northern Territory Anti-Discrimination Commissioner
- Nareen Young, Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership & Engagement), Professor Indigenous Policy, UTS Business School, Jumbunna Institute
About this event
The Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture returns in 2025 to mark a significant milestone, the 50th anniversary of the passage of Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act (RDA). This landmark legislation laid the foundation for racial equality in Australia, but after half a century is it time for reform?
This year’s lecture will spotlight racism in workplaces and explore the structural and often invisible nature of racism. It will illustrate how legal and policy reform can drive meaningful change, particularly with the roadmap provided by the National Anti-Racism Framework.
A key theme will be the Race Discrimination Commissioner’s recent call for a ‘positive duty’ in the Racial Discrimination Act, an approach that requires organisations to actively prevent racism, not just respond to it.
The annual Kep Enderby Memorial Lecture advances public understanding and debate about the Racial Discrimination Act, racism and human rights. It honours the Hon. Kep Enderby QC (1926-2015) who as Attorney-General, introduced into Parliament the Bill which would become the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth).
The lecture will be delivered online via Zoom. Auslan interpretation and live captioning will be available.