Story: Anti-racism and Treaty of Waitangi activism

A massive protest campaign developed against the proposed 1960 All Black tour of South Africa, since Māori players were banned from the team. The protests were organised by the Citizens' All Black Tour Association (CABTA), chaired by lawyer Rolland O'Regan. This poster announces a CABTA protest meeting in Wellington in August 1959, with speakers including renowned Māori All Black George Nepia. Listen to this sound recording from 2 June 1960 of Rolland O'Regan addressing the last CABTA meeting before the All Blacks left for South Africa.

Transcript

Beyond this range, there is a great deal of discrimination against the Māori in employment, in housing, lodging houses, cinemas and social relationships. In this private, social or non- non-governmental sphere, the grossest active racial discrimination to date is out of the New Zealand Rugby Union in banning Māoris from the New Zealand representative team. In this sector, discrimination will only be eliminated in time by removing its causes and much patient study, public education and personal service will be needed to slowly accomplish this end. As the Māori urban population rapidly increases this is becoming a matter of some urgency and unless something constructive is done, clashes in the Notting Hill pattern will undoubtably occur. And the remaining shreds of our reputation and the field of race relations will be gone. This trend in race relations must be halted and reversed. Real and absolute equality in every sphere of our social and national life must be our goal.