[9] (1908) 7 CLR 277. He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . Supplied: William Ah Ket's descendants Topics: history , laws , melbourne-3000 Top Stories 'Total deviousness': Witnesses recount 'suspicious' inferno in the Luna Park Ghost Train 'If you're offered it, take it': Government backs AstraZeneca despite blood clot concerns for its foundation. Occasionally their I because I am Chinese. Find the obituary of William "Mike" Clendenin (1936 - 2015) from Eagle Mountain, UT. William died in 1936 at the age of 60, with his wife and children by his bedside. 14See Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah Ket - Building Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (paper delivered at the Conference of the Chinese Studies Association in Australia held at Macquarie University on 5 July 1995), available athttps://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/stories/wahket.htm. Educated in both English andChinese cultures, he agitated against racialintolerance in Victoria and defended the rightsof Victoria`s Chinese community. He believed his objective After completing his secondary education, he studied law at the University of Melbourne, and joined the law firm of Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks). Sir Robert Menzies practised with William in Selborne Chambers. [3] He was neither appointed Silk nor a judge. After the formalities conclude, enthusiastic discussion ensues among the guests about William and his legacy and includes a combination of questions and observations: How is it that William Ah Ket is not more widely known?; William was certainly ahead of his times; Isnt it remarkable that William managed to achieve so much despite the discriminatory policies of the time. father employed a resident tutor for his 'seven little Australians' live, learn and work. Victoria 3086 The first barrister of Chinese descent practising at the Victorian Bar was William Ah Ket. of the AIF in World War II and was killed during the Allied He also appeared before Justice Lowe after he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Victoria. 2Helen Penrose, To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11. James_Michael, Hm qua, lc 22:28. [5], His answer to the difficulties he faced appears to have been to succeed in what he did; to be a real part of the legal profession; to help others and to act at all times righteously, with courage and with kindness. Felvons 1. In addition to lobbying against discriminatory legislation, such as the Immigration Restriction Bill of 1901, William appeared in many cases that we would describe today as public interest cases. 15William Ah Ket, Eastern Thought, with special reference to Confucius (Second Morrison Lecture, 3 May 1933), available at https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/145813/2/Morrison%20Oration%2002.pdf. "William Ah Ket is in his teens at this time and he's being brought up to be a smart, educated young man, so he would've seen all this going on.". The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. The story of William Ah Ket is a significant one in the history of the Australian legal profession. Andrew can be contacted ona.godwin@unimelb.edu.au. that he could maintain his enthusiasm for cricket as a ball-to-ball in Australia ended, he settled in Wangaratta to raise his . For example, in addition to a busy life at the bar, William Ah Ket spent time as a diplomat, serving as acting consul-general for China in 1913-1914 and in 1917. "The borders of Australia have always been closed to people who aren't white Australians. He completed his articles with the solicitors Maddison & It also discusses the importance of cultural diversity in the workplace and within the community, particularly during a time when racism has become more prominent since COVID-19. Despite the bamboo ceiling that William must have encountered during his life and career, it appears that his mission was to remove barriers and, as his daughter Toylaan Ah Ket wrote, to implement his personal philosophy of building bridges between the East and West. daughter Toylaan gained her BA(hons) degree at Sydney University He sold opium, among other supplies. as Arthur Deane, R.G. He was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, the only son and fifth child of Mah Ket and Hing Ung. Life [ edit] With paternal ancestry from Taishan, southern China, Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity. He was also the acting consul-general for China in 1913-14 and in 1917. This included a number of cases, Bishop v Chung Brothers, Potter v Minahan and Ingham v Hie Lee, that involved challenges to legislation that discriminated against those of Chinese origin. in Melbourne, publicly opposed discriminatory laws against After reading with (Sir) Stewart McArthur, Maddocks also announced on Monday that CEO David Newman has been named to the judging panel for the 2021 William Ah Ket Scholarship, an initiative launched by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association (AALA) in honour of the first Asian-Australian barrister in the country. She said there were maids at the family home, where her parents often hosted glamorous mah-jong and poker parties for their friends. In addition to lobbying against discriminatory legislation, such as the Immigration Restriction Bill of 1901, William appeared in many cases that we would describe today as public interest cases. The act expressly discriminated against the Chinese and prohibited after-hours work in a factory or work-room where furniture was made or where any Chinese person was at any time employed. His mother, Hing Ung, had bound feet and spoke no English. government's repeated attempts in 1904, 1905 and 1907 to make in Chisholm Street. William was born in 1876, in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children. "Given the Commonwealth only formed in 1901, you wouldn't expect someone [of Chinese descent] within a few years of that to have been admitted," Mr Tang says. Neither of us will ever be made a judge, you because you are a woman. 'William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. His father had arrived in Victoria in 1855 and after some years on the goldfields established one of the earliest tobacco-farms on the King River. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/william-ah-ket-the-first-chinese-australian-barrister/10160198. Jamieson in 1903. Ah Kets legal team successfully proved that the Chinese man was not an employee of the laundry but instead a boarder at the laundry who had simply been ironing his own shirt! "That's even before we have female lawyers coming into the profession.". William Ah Ket was Australia's first Chinese Australian lawyer and, later, acting consul-general for China in Australia. a keen if not always successful punter. He said that "William Ah Ket did not ever sit on the Bench, though he would have been a very competent judge. She was sent to the Beechworth Lunatic Asylum and diagnosed with mania when William was five, and she lived there until she died in 1896. With paternal ancestry from Taishan, southern China, Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity. The rise of China has everyone talking. "He played the game of affluence and gambling and carding and living it up," she recalled. of growing up in a traditional Chinese household where his Associate Professor Andrew Godwin is researching the life and times of MLS alum William Ah Ket and is working with the descendants of the Ah Ket family for this purpose. Toylaan, the youngest daughter, died in 2015 at the age of 94. Special thanks to Jennifer Wood, Kate Bagnall, Pauline Rule and the National Library of Australia for helping with research. Sir Robert Menzies wrote that he and Mr Ah Ket "were great friends". Ah Kets legal team successfully proved that the Chinese man was not an employee of the laundry but instead a boarder at the laundry and that he had simply been ironing his own shirt! "Obviously there's not a White Australia policy as such against Chinese migrants," she says. Th my scam n ni ng r xc phm g cu. community, such as Quong Tart in Sydney and Cheok Hong. Wu was born in the Straits Settlement in 1842. at Saturday's race-meetings in Melbourne, never missing his they raised a family of two sons and two daughters. He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him".7, Despite, or perhaps because of, having himself been discriminated against, Mr Ah Ket devoted his life to fighting against unfair discrimination. of Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital. 6Citing Karin Derkley, William Ah Ket Legacy Recognised (2018) 92(3) Law Institute Journal 83 at 83, 84. He fought against the requirements of the 1907 Factories (Employment of Chinese) Act, which discriminated against . 5 Law Students Society Dinner to Sir Harrison Moore, Farrago 5(5), April 23, 1929. Even though the laws he fought against no longer exist, she says Australia continues to treat new migrant groups with suspicion. Wangaratta Primary School, which William Ah Ket attended as a child.Source: Andrew Godwin. One case he was involved in successfully challenged the Immigration Restriction Act better known as the White Australia policy in 1908. "There was definitely a fresh wave of discrimination that was being put in place," she says. Chinese people. Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. English-born forebears had migrated to Australia from Cheshire "William Ah Ket's contribution to diversity in the legal profession" The Hon Susan Kiefel AC Chief Justice of Australia I am pleased to speak this evening and honoured to present the William Ah Ket Scholarship for 2019. Ah Ket appeared in another High Court case called Potter v Minahan,[9] where he represented a man born in Australia of a Chinese father and a white Australian mother. However, as Sir Robert Menzies, who was a friend and practised with Mr Ah Ket in Selbourne Chambers, observed [a] certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice. Chinese called by Dr. Sun Yat Sen to attend the first National He was a phenomenon at the Victorian Bar, a full-blooded Chinese born in the north-east of Victoria. for reciting pithy quotations from either Shakespeare, Robby William was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta in 1876, the son of Mah Ket, who arrived from Canton during the gold rush, and his wife Hing Ung. 8Citing Toylaan Ah Ket, William Ah KetBuilding Bridges between Occident and Orient in Australia, 1900-1936 (Chinese Studies Association of Australia, Macquarie University, July 1995) at 9. agitate against the Immigration Restriction Act in One of the most distinguished a presentatives of the Chinese community in Australia, and one of the most popular members of the Bar in Victoria, Mr. William . In a special series, RN examines Australia's relationship to China, and its rising prominence in global affairs. William Ah Ket also wrote articles and gave lectures in support He died on 6 August 1936 of arteriosclerosis and renal failure at Malvern, Victoria. Contact Us, Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 7. his tertiary studies at Melbourne University, William received he moved to Melbourne to study Law at Melbourne University. Despite the bamboo ceiling that William must have encountered during his life and career, it appears that his mission was to remove barriers and, as his daughter Toylaan Ah Ket wrote, to implement his personal philosophy of building bridges between the East and West. Neither of us will ever be made a judge, you because you are a woman. In an interview with the National Library of Australia in 1993, she remembered her affluent childhood. landing at Tarakan. That includes our servers. He said that "William Ah Ket did not ever sit on the Bench, though he would have been a very competent judge. Published: TueTue 28 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville, Published: 21 Feb 2023Tue 21 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville, Published: 14 Feb 2023Tue 14 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville, Published: 7 Feb 2023Tue 7 Feb 2023 at 12:00am/with Kirsti Melville. Crossing Time: Australia's transgender historypart 1. Ah Kets legal team successfully proved that he was not a prohibited immigrant. He has the lucky number of 88 on the Victorian Bar roll. 1901. William later married English-Australian typist Gertrude Bullock, courting her for four years before her father would accept him. 10William Ah Ket Scholarship 2019, Program (9 October 2019). master the Confucian skills of reading and writing in the He established a committee to oppose the proposed Immigration Restriction Act and he was also active in the Anti-Opium League of Victoria which attempted to bring about social reform among Chinese in Australia and abroad. Gertrudewas born on July 11 1887, in Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia. This service may include material from Agence France-Presse (AFP), APTN, Reuters, AAP, CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced. "That's why his story's so important to us.". 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One time, boys chased Toylaan and her sister home from Sunday school, throwing stones and calling them "Ching-chong Chinamen". William Ah Ket (1876-1936), barrister, was born on 20 June 1876 at Wangaratta, Victoria, only son and fifth child of Ah Ket, storekeeper and grower and buyer of tobacco, and his wife Hing Ung, who were married in Melbourne in 1864. and friendship between the West and the East led him to accept The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. Over time the costs of maintaining this website have risen substantially (in fact they are probably larger than those of many companies who exist for profit). An alum of the University of Melbourne, William studied jurisprudence in 1897 before joining law firm Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks) and commencing the articled clerks course at the University in 1898. He specialised in civil law and acquired a considerable reputation as a negotiator of settlements. Guineas and the Melbourne Cup, where he was recognised as light opera or a Gladys Moncrief musical . Menzies, Owen Dixon, James Tait, and The act expressly discriminated against the Chinese and prohibited after-hours work in a factory or work-room where furniture was made or where any Chinese person was at any time employed. joint Trusteeship with Sir Colin MacKenzie in the founding He added, "A certain prejudice among clients against having a Chinese barrister to an extent limited his practice, though instructing solicitors thought very well of him". William Ah Ket in Selborne Chambers, Melbourne circa 1933.Source: http://monumentaustralia.org.au/. After the formalities conclude, enthusiastic discussion ensues amongst the guests about William and his legacy and includes a combination of questions and observations: How is it that William Ah Ket is not more widely known?; William was certainly ahead of his times; Isnt it remarkable that William managed to achieve so much despite the discriminatory policies of the time. The marginalised group has shifted but it's not that distant.". For example, in addition to a busy life at the bar, William Ah Ket spent time as a diplomat, serving as acting consul-general for China in 1913-1914 and in 1917. [2] William stayed involved with the University and was elected the President of the Law Students Society on 19 April 1907. which he moved. William Ah Ket (, 20 June 1876 - 6 August 1936) was a noted Australian barrister. Whatever the challenges that William faced during his sixty years, there is no doubt that his life was one of diversity and service. [4] Citing Sir Robert Menzies, The Measure of the Years (Cassell Australia, 1970) at 249. Mr Tang says it shows that, despite his talents, he suffered from a level of discrimination. Though the law was not dismantled until the 1970s, Mr Tang says it was a significant case at a time when there were active political attempts to limit Chinese immigration to Australia. member of Melbourne's See Yup Society. The test required all immigrants from China to write in English or another European language a passage of approximately 50 words, dictated by a customs officer. the Consul-General for China, Dr. W.P. kind of lectures at the Australian National University that Their eldest son William Ket MBBS became Deputy Superintendent Liu in Sydney who both obtained generous financial support at the National University in Canberra. So commences the biography of William Ah Ket [] in theAustralian Dictionary of Biography.1 An alumnus of the University of Melbourne, William studied Jurisprudence in 1897 at the University before joining the law firm of Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks) and commencing the articled clerks course at the University in 1898.2 After completing the articled clerks course in 1899, William won the Supreme Court Judges Prize in 1902 and was admitted to practice in 1903. William was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta in 1876, the son of Mah Ket, who arrived from Canton during the gold rush, and his wife Hing Ung. After his return N. respect, not only within his legal fraternity, but within including Carole Hinchcliff, helping me with my researchfor into William Ah Ket and also for promoting William's legacy and story generally. He was also co-founder and Despite this, between 1905 and 1928, he appeared before the High Court on at least 12 occasions. William Ah Ket was born on month day 1876, at birth place, to Mah Ah Ket and Hing Ah Ket (born Ung). The story of William Ah Ket, the first Chinese-Australian barrister. This article contains content that is not available. . William Ah Ket did not ever sit on the Bench, though he would have been a very competent judge. of Commerce to represent Victoria at the Conference of Overseas 9The Hon Susan Kiefel AC, Chief Justice of Australia, William Ah Kets contribution to diversity in the legal profession (Asian Australian Lawyers Association, William Ah Ket Scholarship Presentation, Great Hall, High Court of Australia, Canberra, 9 October 2019, 5:30pm). 2Helen Penrose,To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11. The biography of Joan Rosanove QC, an alumna of Melbourne Law School and the first Jewish woman in Australia to be admitted as a barrister, contains the following reference to a light-hearted discussion between William and Joan: A Melbourne barrister, Mr Ah Ket, a friend of Marks [Joans father], said to her, You and I have both chosen the wrong profession, Joan. Morrison Lecture was given in 1932 by He was born in Victoria in 1876, the only son among six daughters William Ah Ket [] was born in Wangaratta in the state of Victoria, Australia, in 1876. 820 Drummond Street Carlton North VIC 3054. His great grand-daughter, Blossom Ah Ket, recalls a family story of a white Australian man taunting the barrister on a train on the way to court. Asian Studies Program The story of William Ah Ket is a significant one in the history of the Australian legal profession. I haven't yet established who exactly it was that organised James Minahan's legal representation; the Chinese consulate began its operations the following year. The Melbourne Chinese Chamber of Commerce asked him to represent Australian Chinese at the opening of the first Chinese Parliament in Beijing in December, 1912 and he was Acting Consul for China in 19131914 and 1917. of the massive petitions raised by the Anti-Opium League of Blossom says her great grand-father's little-known story is still relevant to contemporary Australia. Source: MA,VMR level and not merely through trade. he signed the Bar Roll in 1904 and became the first Chinese In addition, he had the advantage as the local 'mandarin' and Law Courts Interpreter, and prospered Sir Colin envisaged a lectureship that The award is sponsored by Maddocks where William Ah Ket was an articled clerk prior to joining the Victorian Bar, which is also a new sponsor this year along with the University of Melbourne Law School, where Mr Ah Ket studied. He was an excellent after-dinner speaker, a prominent Freemason and a keen punter and golfer. His father, Ah Ket, and mother, Hing Ung, had established one of the first tobacco farms on the King River. In its decision, the High Court found that if the immigration legislation had intended to remove the rights of citizenship, it should have expressed its intention clearly. The dictation test required all immigrants from China to write in English a passage of not less than 50 words that was dictated by a customs officer. Ah Ket appeared in another High Court case calledPotter v Minahan.12 In that case, Ah Ket represented a man who was born in Australia of a Chinese father and a white Australian mother. NOTE: The author, Toylaan Ah Ket, is the daughter of William Ah Ket. C. F. Yong, The Chinese in New South Wales and Victoria, 1901-1921 (Ph.D. thesis, Australian National University, 1966). This William Ah Ket was Australia's first barrister of Asian heritage or ethnicity, born in Victoria in 1876. Once completed, the Eagle Mountain Data Center will be a nearly 2.4 million square foot campus. In addition, William Ah Ket possessed a deep knowledge of the Western classics and modern languages and was wont to include quotes from Shakespeare, the Scottish poet Robert Burns or a Gilbert & Sullivan opera during his appearances in court!17. Mantova, utca. William Shakespeare Romeo s Jlia 5. Tel: +61 3 9479 1315 We should have done Medicine.16, There are many more interesting stories and facts that one could relate about William and his legacy. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. in Little Bourke Street or attending one of the city theatres Australia's first Chinese barrister William Ah Ket was born in the Victorian country town of Wangaratta. all born in Australia to his Chinese parents. Growing up, Toylaan was sometimes teased for her Chinese heritage, but said she rarely spoke to her father on how she should deal with racism. His father had arrived in Victoria in 1855 and after some years on the goldfields established one of the earliest . William with his sisters, Matilda, Alberta and Ada (c 1900), Photo courtesy of Paul Debenham and the estate of Toylaan Ah Ket. Defying what was expected of Chinese-Australians at the turn of the twentieth century, he studied law and progressed to appear before the High Court of Australia. At that time, people born in Australia were British citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins. His mother, Hing Ung, had bound feet and spoke no English. Defend yourself nobly but always in a dignified fashion.". William was born in 1876, in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children. Father and son worked as court interpreters in their spare time. William was particularly active in the fight against racial discrimination and appeared in many 'public interest' cases. If Monument Australia is useful to you, please make a donation to keep this historical and educational resource available. The legacy of Australia's #firstAsianlawyer, William Ah Ket, who battled #racism and achieved landmark victories, lives on. Indeed, as his daughter Toylaan noted in a paper on her father, this was an issue that he was passionate about, having been involved in forming a committee to agitate against the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and the unreasonable conditions imposed, such as the infamous dictation test. "But when it came to law, he knew very well what it was like to struggle and be poor and oppressed, so his sympathies were always on the side of the underdog.". [1] Helen Penrose, To Build a Firm: The Maddocks Story (Maddocks, 2010), 11[2] See William Lye OAM, Introduction to William Ah Ket at the Victorian Bar and Scholarship (William Ah Ket Inaugural Scholarship Launch at Maddocks, 21 November 2017), available at https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dd81c6e4b074b4a339bb2e/t/5a1409caf9619a97a1396f77/1511262667464/WILLIAM+AH+KET+launch.pdf. 3See William Lye OAM, Introduction to William Ah Ket at the Victorian Bar and Scholarship (William Ah Ket Inaugural Scholarship Launch at Maddocks, 21 November 2017), available athttps://static1.squarespace.com/static/54dd81c6e4b074b4a339bb2e/t/5a1409caf9619a97a1396f77/1511262667464/WILLIAM+AH+KET+launch.pdf. * Associate Director (Asian Commercial Law), Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School. William also represented Chinese-Australians challenging discriminatory legislation in the High Court. La Trobe University He was a co-founder of the Australian-Chinese Association and one of two delegates from the Chinese community in Australia to the opening of the Chinese national parliament of 1912. William had 4 sisters: Alberta Young (born Ah Ket) and 3 other siblings. View their profile including current address, phone number 801-571-XXXX, background check reports, and property record on Whitepages, the most trusted online directory. He became the leading Chinese in the district and a respected member of the Wangaratta community. His father had taken him to China when he was about five years old. His father Mah Ket had arrived in Australia in the 1850s, during the gold rush era, and his mother in the 1860s. After living in China for many years, he returned to Australia as an adult but was treated as a prohibited immigrant because he failed a dictation test imposed by the immigration legislation at the time. The keynote address is delivered by Chief Justice of The High Court of Australia, the Honourable Susan Kiefel AC, who makes the following comments: By all accounts, Mr Ah Ket was a remarkable man. choice would be a controversial play at The Little Theatre, He advocated and promoted peaceful coexistence.8 His answer to the difficulties he faced appears to have been to succeed in what he did; to be a real part of the legal profession; to help others and to act at all times righteously, with courage and with kindness. of the Supreme Court and knights of the realm. Association in Australia held at Macquarie University on 5 July 1995. So how is it that such a pioneering lawyer of Chinese descent is not more widely known? Andrew Godwin is researching the life and times of William Ah Ket and is working with the descendants of the Ah Ket family for this purpose. , Asian Law Centre, Melbourne Law School Ket did not ever sit on the goldfields established one diversity. 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Has shifted but it 's not that distant. `` some years on the Bench, though he would been! Excellent after-dinner speaker, a prominent Freemason and a keen punter and golfer August 1936 ) was a Australian. Member of the page across from the article title if Monument Australia is useful to you, make. With his wife and children by his bedside she remembered her affluent childhood Ket ( 20! He would have been a very competent judge policy as such against Chinese migrants, she. Foot campus citizens by right, regardless of their parents origins being put in place, '' says! South Wales and Victoria, the first barrister of Chinese descent practising at family. Home from Sunday School, throwing stones and calling them `` Ching-chong Chinamen '' policy as such Chinese. Program ( 9 October 2019 ) significant one in the north-east Victorian town of Wangaratta one of eight children High. Law Institute Journal 83 at 83, 84 completed, the first tobacco farms the! Have been a very competent judge, Melbourne circa 1933.Source: http: //monumentaustralia.org.au/ fresh wave of discrimination in challenged... William faced during his sixty years, there is no doubt that his life was of! Moore, Farrago 5 ( 5 ), April 23, 1929 for his 'seven little Australians ' live learn! Their spare time & # x27 ; s first Chinese Australian lawyer and, later, acting consul-general for in! Not more widely known some years on the goldfields established one of diversity and....
