Yumi Stynes sheds light on multicultural public figures in Seen

Yumi Stynes has released her new podcast with SBS titled Seen, in which she meets with eleven high-profile Aussies who detail their struggles with racial prejudice, discrimination and a lack of visible role models. 

The interview series talks to guests from media, arts and culture, science, sport and beyond about the importance of being seen. 

Hosted by writer, TV presenter and podcaster, Yumi Stynes, Seen sheds light on personal experiences to help listeners understand the importance of diversity in media.

“I was so excited to find these wonderful people, and to unfurl their stories as best I could and allow their stories to speak,” Stynes said.

“It’s an important question to ask: are these voices being heard less or not at all because of things beyond their control? Like race, ability or disability, religion. Are they being given fewer opportunities or more obstacles because of that?”

The line-up of guests include disability activist and writer Hannah Diviney; NITV and Channel 10 newsreader, Whadjuk Noongar woman Narelda Jacobs; and retired Australian rugby sevens Olympian and trans man Ellia Green.

“In the podcast Hannah Diviney talks about how as a young girl with cerebral palsy, she used to stare at herself in the mirror for ages because she was worried that if she didn’t, she might disappear. She literally couldn’t see herself anywhere else, but in the mirror,” Stynes said.

Another guest on the podcast is writer, activist and broadcaster Yassmin Abdel-Magied who faced an avalanche of online trolling in response to a social media post in 2017. 

“Yassmin and I have known each other for a few years and when her situation reached a real crisis point, there were a lot of people like me watching in utter dismay, thinking, ‘This is what happens to women of colour who are mouthy,’” Stynes said.

“You don’t have to say the wrong thing, you just have to say anything. That interview was like a therapy session for me and a chance for us both to look back and go, ‘What the heck was that?’”

Stynes hopes the stories from Seen will broaden people’s idea of what a diverse and multicultural Australia looks like.

“I think it cracks open the scope of what we view as ‘Australia’ or ‘Australians’, so if you want to widen your understanding of who makes up the population of this wonderful country then the podcast introduces some inspiring Australians that you’ll be glad you met.”

The first episode of Seen is available now on the SBS Audio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other podcast apps. Listen here.