Stolen Man on Stolen Land

Being African-American in Australia

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About The Book

When Tyree Barnette moved to Sydney from North Carolina, he knew little of his new home. On first arriving, he was pleasantly surprised: the police treated him with respect and Black American culture seemed to be widely admired and celebrated.

But in time, Tyree saw the darker side to Australia’s relationship with African American culture – a relationship that often tipped from admiration into fetishisation. The undercurrents of racism in Australia came into view, as did the ongoing struggles of Indigenous Australians against injustice.

Watching from a distance as the USA transformed, its place on the global stage shifting through the rise of Trump, the Black Lives Matter Movement and a new era of political polarisation, Tyree learned the unique joy and pain of migration. Balancing the insistent tug of home with the possibility of a new life, he explores this experience with nuance, self-awareness and kindness.

This is the perspective that has been missing from the race discussion in Australia, one that considers how privilege and race can shift across time and borders. Stolen ?Man on Stolen Land is both a love letter to Australian multiculturalism and a clear-eyed exploration of its successes and its failings.

About The Author

Photograph by Nathaniel Palmer

Tyree Barnette is a transplant to Sydney, originally from Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. He moved to Sydney with his partner in 2013. Since then, they have grown their family with two boys. Tyree’s day job is working in student services at Western Sydney University. Additionally, Tyree is a member of the Sweatshop Literacy Movement, where he has written numerous pieces for SBS Voices and contributed to anthologies such as Love, This Little Red Thing and Racism: Stories on Fear, Hate and Bigotry. Tyree most enjoys writing about his experience as an African American in Australia and spending time with his two amazing boys.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Affirm Press (January 27, 2026)
  • Length: 288 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781761636776

Raves and Reviews

'A personal snapshot of one man’s lived experience. It offers valuable new insights into the Australian experience and contributes to ongoing local discussions on authenticity, belonging, identity, race and culture.'

– Mark Parry, Good Reading

'Stolen Man on Stolen Land is a laudable debut that invites contemplation, gratitude and action, reminding us that where we are from still holds a lot of weight, especially if we’re not paying close enough attention to where we are going.'

– Sarah Ayoub, The Age

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