New York Times under fire over "shameful" obituary of Jack Charles
The New York Times has come under fire for their "shameful" obituary of Aboriginal actor Jack Charles.
The publication's tribute to the late actor, who died of a stroke on September 13th at age 79, portrayed his life of drugs and crime rather than his long list of achievements in the arts.
Furious social media users claimed the post, which has since been removed, was offensive and an example of "racial profiling".
The NYT's Twitter post about Jack Charles' death said he "was one of Australia's leading Indigenous actors, but his heroin addiction and penchant for burglary landed him in and out of jail throughout his life".
The outrage was widespread online, with one person writing, "No, we are not doing this. He was a leading actor and activist. This isn't presenting a complex person, it's straight up racial profiling."
Another said, "Wow. This is … one of the worst ways I've seen his story told. Shame on you."
"How to say 'we're a tone deaf racist publication" without saying "we're a tone deaf racist publication'," commented a third.
The original post was later deleted and replaced with a tweet remembering Charles as "one of Australia's leading Indigenous actors and activists", and as "the grandfather of Aboriginal theatre".
Jack Charles' family announced his death in a statement, saying, "He will live on in our hearts and memories through his numerous screen and stage roles".
The Indigenous icon was names NAIDOC male Elder of the year just months before his death.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese took to Twitter to say, "Jack Charles lived a hard life and he leaves a joyous legacy. He endured cruelty, he knew pain."
"He survived every turn of the vicious cycle, holding on to his humanity. Jack Charles uplifted our nation with his heart, his genius, his creativity and passion."
Image credits: Getty Images