Santilla Chingaipe: Black Convicts

Changemaker Santilla Chingaipe is joined by Sisonke Msimang to explore Australia’s forgotten history of slavery, race and empire.  

Best known for her award-winning documentary Our African Roots, Santilla Chingaipe is one of Australia’s leading filmmakers and historians. This November, Chingaipe returns to The Wheeler Centre for an exclusive conversation with acclaimed writer and activist Sisonke Msimang, as they delve into the stories that inspired her debut book, uncovering the hidden legacy of slavery in Australia. Together, they will examine how empire, race and memory continue to shape our nation’s identity. 

In 2023, Chingaipe delivered the E.W. Cole Lecture, which posited the vital question of ‘who gets to write history?’ Now, a year later, she builds on that inquiry, offering a fresh and urgent perspective on Australia’s past and present. 

Witness two powerful voices as they discuss the complexities of history, identity and truth.  

Drinks will be available for purchase from The Moat Bar before the event and Chingaipe will be signing books following the event.