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A white mother and her children were kicked off a playground in Sydney, Australia, being told that the area was for a “multicultural playgroup.”
Tara Coverdale packed up her 4-year-old son and 8-month-old daughter and headed to Alexandria Park Community Centre. Upon walking up to the playground, a staff member approached the family.
“I’m sorry you can’t come here,” the staffer said, according to Coverdale’s recollection to the Daily Telegraph. “It’s a multicultural playgroup.”
Coverdale explained to the Daily Telegraph that the staffer then proceeded to asked her about her cultural background.
She explained that she was “Australian,” and the staffer again told Coverdale she could not use the facility.
“I’m sorry, you can’t come here,” she recalled the staffer answering back, the Daily Telegraph reported. “It’s for multicultural families and people who speak languages other than English at home.”
“I said, ‘I’m not leaving.’ My kids were playing. My older son was having such a good time with his buddy, and I thought, ‘Why should I leave?’” Coverdale explained to the Daily Telegraph.
The incident escalated and the manager Jo Fletcher, came to address Coverdale says the Daily Telegraph.
“Can I just ask what your cultural background is?” Coverdale recalled Fletcher asking her, the paper reported.
Giving into the question a bit more, Coverdale gave more details about her background, explaining that she was fourth generation Australian, said the Daily Telegraph.
Again, Coverdale was told to leave.
“I’m sorry you can’t come here,” Coverdale recalled Fletcher telling her, the paper reported. “It’s a multicultural playgroup.”
Fletcher continued on to explain that the facility was not for people like Coverdale, that it was for “multicultural” mothers who “might be lonely and might want to build a network of people who speak the same language,” Coverdale recalled to the Daily Telegraph.
According to the paper, Coverdale asked Fletcher where her family could play, to which the manager responded “we don’t have one here for you” and that she’d have to find one elsewhere.
“How does that help Australia help people to integrate, speak English, and build a life?” Coverdale asked, the Daily Telegraph reported. “I pay a lot of tax. I pay my rates. To think I’m actually not welcome is unfair.”
Coverdale reported to the Daily Telegraph that she witnessed many other families, who looked different from herself be “welcomed” into the facility.
“They were made to feel very welcome. Because they didn’t look ‘Australian’ they didn’t even get asked about their background,” Coverdale told the Daily Telegraph.
Eventually, the paper reported that the Coverdale family left the facility.
About a week later, Rob Stokes, Australia’s Education Minister, caught wind of the issue and told Fletcher to let all families attend the playgroup, the paper said.
“This is not acceptable,” Stokes said, the Daily Telegraph reported. “Everyone, regardless of their background, should feel included in these wonderful community activities.”
