Dr. Stephen Hagan, the man behind the attempt to rename Coon cheese, calls for a national audit of offensive and racist place names, including Blackfellows beach in South Australia
- Dr. Stephen Hagan fought for 20 years to change the name of Coon cheese
- He is now calling for an investigation into ‘every public sign’
An academic who successfully campaigned to rename Coon Cheese has called for an investigation into offensive ‘redneck’ place names and geographic landmarks across Australia, including a beach popular with surfers.
Dr. Stephen Hagan, a Queensland-based author and anti-racism activist, said a state-by-state investigation of “every public sign” was needed.
“We need to flag and red flag signs that are offensive… take it to the traditional owners of the area and ask them if they are offended by it,” he told The advertiser.
If the answer is yes, ask them to nominate a word to replace it and then proceed to formalize it….
Dr. Hagan (pictured) fought for two decades to get the name of Coon cheese changed
Dr. Stephen Hagan, a Queensland-based author and anti-racism campaigner, said a state-by-state survey of “every public sign” was needed, including Blackfellows Point in South Australia (pictured)
“It’s time for Australia to join the rest of the world…there is no room for outdated views or outdated prospects.”
One example Dr Hagan pointed to was Blackfellows beach, a popular surfing spot in South Australia.
The name is believed to refer to a nearby massacre in 1849 where dozens of Wirangu people were marched off a cliff.
The left break at Blackfellows Point is notoriously dangerous. In 2000, 17-year-old Jevan Wright was eaten by a Great White while surfing there.
Dr. Hagan said it was “not good enough to just wait for complaints.”
“These complaints get lost in the system and it can take years for action to be taken,” he said.
Dr. Hagan fought for two decades to get the name of Coon cheese changed.
In 2001, activists began a campaign to have the name changed because of its racist connotations.
Coon’s owners, Saputo, finally relented and announced the name change to Cheer in 2021.
An example Dr Hagan pointed to was Blackfellows beach, a popular surfing spot in South Australia (stock image)
Coon cheese announced its name change to Cheer in 2020 following the global Black Lives Matter protests – and years of campaigning by Dr. Hagan
“I said the cheese brand was offensive, I said it demeans people of color,” Dr Hagan told the ABC at the time.
In 2020, Saputo Dairy Australia, owner of the brand, finally renamed it Cheer cheese in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests.
Dr. Hagan hailed the move as a “total vindication of 20 years of campaigning.”
The activist also won a call for the United Nations to name a sports stadium in his home state the ES ‘N****r’ Brown Grand.
“I (also) sued Mattel for a Scrabble game using (derogatory) terms like ‘abo’ and ‘coon’…that has now changed,” said Dr. Hagan.