The #IndigenousDads hashtag is the perfect response to Bill Leak's racist cartoon

The past few days have seen Indigenous families around Australia launch a positive and powerful comeback to a racist cartoon published in The Australian last Thursday, in the form of a simple hashtag. The image, drawn by controversial cartoonist Bill Leak in the wake of the Northern Territory juvenile detention centre scandal, portrays a police officer holding a young indigenous boy by the back of his shirt and handing him over to his father - who's holding a can of beer and asking what his son's name is.

Understandably, and rightly so, Leak and The Australian have copped a wave of backlash from both the Indigenous and wider Australian communities, but Indigenous families found the perfect platform to both rise above and hit back at Leak's generalisations over the weekend; with the hashtag #IndigenousDads. Users of the tag posted photos of Indigenous dads being great fathers and family men; completely blowing away the ridiculous stereotype portrayed in Leak's cartoon and showing Australia that there are a wealth of Indigenous males in the community who are proud fathers and outstanding role models.

No only do I know my sons name but I named a superhero after him. #IndigenousDads #Cleverman pic.twitter.com/mfvd0vyc4S

— Ryan Griffen (@RyanJGriffen) August 6, 2016

This is my indigenous dad... And no, that's not beer in his hand, it's a Helpmann award #IndigenousDads @australian pic.twitter.com/S6FZBLQujk

— Hunter Page-Lochard (@hunterpage) August 7, 2016

I'm proud to be his father and proud to be Aboriginal. Our culture is our strength. #IndigenousDads. pic.twitter.com/TAshR17NiH

— Aaron Charles Ellis (@bigibila) August 6, 2016

Standing strong on the shoulders of #indigenousdads ! pic.twitter.com/NsrPqLfAvP

— Ali Drummond (@dauareb) August 6, 2016

He worked for almost 5 decades - even as a diplomat overseas & never EVER forgot my name #IndigenousDads pic.twitter.com/WhHqiQjcmw

— John Paul Janke (@jpjanke) August 6, 2016