An Indigenous musician was left in ‘tears and anger’ after claiming two taxi drivers refused her fare because of the colour of her skin.
Emma Donovan, an award-winning Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji artist, flew into Perth on Friday night after launching her new CD in Melbourne.
But Ms Donovan, 43, said she was refused a ride by two drivers despite being at the front of the queue.
The singer claimed that their refusal was driven by racism, with one of the drivers saying he didn’t like ‘her kind’.
‘I am absolutely fuming writing this in tears and anger,’ Ms Donovan wrote on Facebook.
Emma Donovan (pictured), an award-winning Gumbaynggirr and Yamatji artist, flew into Perth on Friday night after launching her new CD in Melbourne
But Ms Donovan, 43, said she was refused a ride by two drivers despite being at the front of the queue (pictured: one of the alleged drivers)
‘I will be reporting these guys somehow. The whole cab line was arguing about who would take me, and no one wanted to.
‘A kind fulla (sic) offered me a lift in his car and took me to Vic Park.
‘I know this wasn’t because of a short fare; I know this was racism at its finest.’
The singer-songwriter took pictures of the two taxi drivers’ number plates and shared them with her 21,000 followers.
Many urged her to report the licence plates to the department of transport, which regulates the taxi industry in the state.
‘What happened to you is completely unacceptable (obviously!) but also against regulations,’ wrote one person.
‘The company and the drivers will be sanctioned. Or should be.’
Her post was flooded by hundreds of comments of support and solidarity, with one person saying their ‘heart is hurt for reading this’.
‘What a disgrace this country is,’ they added.
‘The words of Laura Tingle ring true every day: ‘Australia is a racist country’, no doubt about it.
‘I can’t even imagine how humiliating this must have been for you. I can only apologise to you on their behalf and express my absolute solidarity with you and all Indigenous peoples of this stolen occupied land.’
A Perth Airport spokesman said they were not aware of the incident, but encouraged the musician to report it (pictured, the second alleged taxi)
The singer-songwriter took pictures of the two taxi drivers’ number plates and shared them with her 21,000 Facebook followers
A spokesperson for Perth Airport told Daily Mail Australia there was ‘no place for racism in our society’.
‘The taxi industry is regulated by the State Government. We would urge Ms Donovan to lodge a report with the Department of Transport and we would be happy to assist her with lodging the complaint,’ the spokesperson added.
‘Perth Airport will identify if there is any CCTV footage of the incident and will provide this to the Department to assist any investigation of the allegations.
‘Perth Airport will also be issuing a reminder to all taxi companies of our expectation that all passengers be treated with courtesy and dignity.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted the Australian Taxi Industry Association for comment.
Ms Donovan is a globally-renowned artist whose genre transcends country, soul and R&B.
She started performing at the age of seven with her well-known family band The Donovans, which was founded by her maternal grandparents Micko and Aileen.
Alongside her mother, Agnes, and her five uncles, Ms Donovan would perform church song renditions at events across the country.
The ARIA-nominated artist has toured Australia and around the globe for over two decades, performing alongside Australian icons such as Paul Kelly, The Teskey Brothers and Paul Grabowsky.
Ms Donovan, who is best known for her work with Melbourne rhythm combo The Putbacks and the Black Arm Band project, performed at the opening of the 2004 Olympic torch relay.