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Hi! I’m Merryana ( @akajustmerry). I’m a critic and proud Wonnarua woman on Awabakal land. I’m here this #NAIDOC2020 to talk #WrongKindOfBlack, about deadly Aboriginal activist Boori Monty Pryor, 70s nostalgia, and why we should be the ones to tell our history.
#WrongKindOfBlack follows Boori Monty Pryor when he was a DJ in the 70s, a time of fros, flares, vinyl and tumultuous racial tensions in Australia; portraying the hilarious & tragic events that inspired Boori to be the educator and author he is today, narrated by the man himself.
The show is powerful from the outset. In an early flashback, an "illegal" corroboree is broken up by cops, reminding us no era is nostalgic for all. For Blackfellas, deaths in custody, police brutality & discrimination are not new, nor is our resilience in preserving our culture
…'cause if we lose our culture, you do too. The series also shows the allies (drunken and official) who helped Boori: Rudi, the Russian mafia don keeping racists off him, or the clumsy white lawyer who agrees to help him after he's fired for being the "wrong kind of Black".
And Pryor himself talks us through exactly what being "the wrong kind of Black" means. In this portrayal of his life on screen, he is writer, narrator and guide to glimpse what it was to be Aboriginal in the 70s. Telling us his story, his history, and our history his way.
I was so moved at such a nuanced, tragic, hilarious and uplifting portrayal of a period of Australian history so rarely viewed from Aboriginal perspectives, let alone the perspective of such a celebrated figure. To hear Boori Monty Pryor's story from Boori himself is a gift.
#WrongKindOfBlack is a prime example of storytelling magic that happens when Aboriginal people tell our own stories, control our narratives, and share our histories. Our stories will always be ours, and it's thanks to the work of people like Boori Monty Pryor that they are.
Boori Monty Pryor is a proud Birri-gubba and Kunggandj man. In 2012 he was Australia's first Children's Laureate, and he has been all over the world, teaching and speaking about Aboriginal culture, in Italy, New Zealand, Ireland, and, in thousands of schools across Australia.
I am inspired by the amount of deadly Indigenous talent that went into portraying such an important man, and perspective in Australian history. Clarence Ryan is incredible (and super handsome 
) as young Monty, and Catriona McKenzie's direction is, dare I say, groovy as hell.
) as young Monty, and Catriona McKenzie's direction is, dare I say, groovy as hell.
Wrong Kind of Black is streaming now on Netflix! What better way to celebrate #NAIDOC2020 then settling into some entertainment showcasing #BlackExcellence in Australia's arts and history, that reminds us how far we come and how far we have to go. #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe
