In the 12 months he’s been in the job, Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman says it’s been “quite the journey” and that not a single day has passed where he hasn’t heard from the wider community about issues related to racism.

In a new LinkedIn post shared today – which marks one year since the Australian Human Rights Commission announced his role – Sivaraman referred to an article he wrote for the Saturday Paper, explaining that “nearly every day I get messages from community members, faith leaders, and others about how racism has impacted them or their communities.”

“I feel like we are going backwards on racism, a decline we must arrest,” he reflected. “The way forward is clear, it’s set out in the National Anti-Racism Framework. As I wrote ‘We need our leaders in politics, civil society and business to be brave. They’ve been handed a road map. It’s time for the rubber to hit the road.’”

In March 2024, the Australian Human Rights Commission named Sivaraman as the new Race Discrimination Commissioner for next five years.

He was previously the Chair of Multicultural Australia, and a Principal Lawyer at Maurice Blackburn (as the head of the firm’s Queensland Employment Law department). At the time, Sivaraman said that the feeling of “honoured is an understatement” in taking on this role.

“I’m also incredibly excited, slightly terrified, and can’t wait to start,” Sivaraman wrote on LinkedIn. “My 95 year old grandmother called me this morning and told me this was the opportunity of a lifetime, that combined two of my greatest passions – enabling prosperous multicultural societies, and using the law to help others. Wise words from a wise woman.”

The Race Discrimination Commissioner is “responsible for combatting all forms of racial discrimination, and promoting understanding, tolerance and harmony across all sectors of Australian society”. Mr Chin Tan has held this role since 2018, and Dr Tim Soutphommasane in the five years prior to that (from 2013 to 2018).

Throughout his career, Sivaraman has worked extensively in the multicultural space, advocating for First Nations peoples’ rights, and demanding legal reform to better protect the rights of victims of racial vilification.

He has spearheaded several state and national race discrimination cases and led the pro bono compensation scheme for underpaid 7-Eleven workers, many of whom came from migrant backgrounds.

Top image source: Australian Human Rights Commission