FOUR STARS

Snatched from their mother's breast
Said it was for the best.

These lyrics come from the anthemic ?Took the Children Away,? by aboriginal singer-songwriter Archie Roach. He and his partner Ruby Hunter are profiled in the second half hour of this excellent package from Radio Netherlands on the ?stolen? generation of Aboriginal Australians. Young black Australians were taken from their parents in the 1950s and 1960s and raised in institutions or foster families.

The first half hour focuses on the Collard family ? and two Collard daughters who were ?stolen?. One, Glynnis, grew up ?black? and ended up, first, in foster institutions and then on the streets. Her sister, Ellen, with lighter skin, was raised white. Producer Dheera Sujan makes the wise decision to ?drop out? of the program here, letting the characters speak in their own words.

Glynnis's words are shocking and exceptional, especially when she speaks about being ?presented? to white men at age 12. They become still more powerful when they bump up against sister Ellen?s story about meeting her real ?black? family, after living for years with her white one.

One quibble: This block of material begins about ten minutes into the program -- after a section establishing the Collard?s family history, material that lost me as a listener and may not be necessary. I wonder if it will also lose others, especially those not used to Australian accents. Maybe stations can tell listeners: it's worth the wait.

The profile of Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter in Part Two, ironically, benefits from the presence of producer Sujan. She shares her experiences as a white Australian growing up in the 1970s. Archie Roach?s reflections on racism and the untranslatable experience of being black are valuable and fresh.

The two programs are packaged together in Radio Netherland?s series ?Worlds Apart?. The series looks at indigenous peoples bridging modern and traditional ways. Either could stand as a half hour speaking to some of the questions about race engaging American audiences today.

Anthea Raymond
Editorial Board
Los Angeles
August 12, 2006