University of Newcastle law student Taylah Gray urged Aboriginal people to "keep this emotion of anger" harnessed during the Black Lives Matter movement to highlight racism and inequality.
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Ms Gray was speaking at a public lecture on Tuesday, hosted by the university, titled "Black Lives Still Matter: The Momentum of Change".
She said anger drove her to win a Supreme Court victory against NSW Police to hold a Black Lives Matter rally in Newcastle in July.
She also channelled Nelson Mandela, saying learning "the language of the oppressor" meant no longer being the victim.
"My education has helped so much because I was able to articulate everything in the oppressor's language."
She also highlighted the plight of black women, saying they were the most "disrespected and underrepresented people" in Australia.
"They are constantly beat and subject to all types of brutality," she said.
Jeff Amatto, co-founder of Brothers 4 Recovery, said "prison is not working for our people".
"They're sending us to prison with untreated alcoholism, drug addiction and mental health and trauma," Mr Amatto said.
"What we need in this country is more cultural rehabs and less jail for our people."
Mr Amatto speaks from experience, having been in prison and experienced "heavy drug addiction and alcoholism".
He said The Glen rehabilitation centre on the Central Coast helped him deal with trauma and mental health problems.
"It's where I came back in contact with my culture. That's where I healed."
He said the federal government had "fallen short about $1 billion a year to close the gap for drugs, alcohol and mental health".
As for the Black Lives Matter movement, he said: "The truth has got to be told".
"As Indigenous people, our statistics are way higher than any other culture in our own country for the suicide rate, drug and alcohol addiction, incarceration.
"What doesn't sit right with me is, as Indigenous people, we're the poorest culture in our own country."
Asked what message she had for Indigenous school students, Ms Gray said: "Just back yourself. You might be young, but you have over 80,000 years of knowledge, wisdom and legacy that is welded into your bones".
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