Tangled up in black

Based on his award-winning doctoral dissertation, Gary Foley chronicles the development of the Black Power Movement within the Australian Aboriginal community and the 1972 Aboriginal Embassy. Focussing on a specific and under-researched period that was crucial in Australian history, Foley challenges the prevailing academic understandings of this period and overturns many of the popular misconceptions. His research shows that as a participant and historian, an innovative approach can be found to reveal the achievements and legacy of Aboriginal activism. Foley's dissertation is a seminal piece of Australian political history, unique in its autobiographical approach, and steeped in academic practice. It was awarded a Chancellor's Prize for Excellence in the PhD thesis in the Humanities, Creative Arts and Social cluster at the University of Melbourne in 2014.