White Blindfolds and Black Armbands

Abstract

Analyses or descriptions of the history of race relations (and cultural production) in what has been called Australia for about a hundred years, have frequently been informed by two orientations that might be simply categorised as the white blindfold and the black armband positions. In many cases, these two mindsets can be observed in other Western cultures although the interaction between them, and the society around them, gets played out differently in particular places at particular times.

Surveying the landscape five years on: An examination of how teachers, and the teaching of Australia's shared-history, is constructed within Australian academic literature

“…2 Coined by Blainey (1993) black armband describes a view of Australian history as disgraceful with historians focusing on violence, exploitation, racism, and other forms of discrimination in Australian history. 3 A white blindfold approach emphasises progress, inclusion, and innovation, and European leadership of Australian society (Ferrier, 1999).…”