Well, the NY Times story is all over the news, so was no surprise. But the
Birding While Black essay with all the insider birding references was new
to me and I laughed all the way through it. Then I sent it to my brother
in California, also a birder. Here is his reply, almost the exact inverse.
Bob OBrien Portland (PS It may have helped also that my brother's wife is
clearly hispanic)
*Birding While White:*
Bob-you may not have heard or remember our story on the subject.
When I was managing HP's first PC development, I had two meetings set. One
in Atlanta to talk with Peachtree Software, the other an industry
conference in New Orleans. April 1980.
As I would be gone for about 8 days, Margie and Paul came with me. Paul
was 20 months old.
I brought my *telescope mounted on the gun stock* for birding. The first
morning in Atlanta we walked to a city park from our downtown hotel. I was
nervous at having the scope so mounted, and I wasn't wrong. The park had
quite a few people in it, about 90% black.
Well, as it turned out, there had been a string of murders of young black
children going on for several months. The killer still on the loose. City
on edge.
But, on the other hand, there I was in plain view with Margie holding a
baby. Hmmm? Not likely.
The reaction was very surprising to me. Almost everyone, of any age or sex
-- but black, would react visibly in seeing me. But in all cases that led
to them smiling. And with that intro, a good proportion of them came over
to us immediately to introduce themselves and talk. What is THAT thing?
Are you visiting? Where do you live? What is a bird that looks like
_______? Not only friendly, but outgoing with it.
This was exactly opposite to the reaction I was used to seeing. Most
people would see me with it, and generally the shy away. Not look at me.
Drift off slowly. Definitely not a smile. Etc.
On Wed, May 27, 2020 at 10:52 AM Devorah the Ornithologist <
birdologist at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
Hello everyone,
>
>
as we know, birding is a wonderful way to get out into nature, to get some
>
exercise and to experience wild birds, but there is a very good reason that
>
few African-Americans engage in this activity, as I report in this heavily
>
researched piece about the recent aggressive event in Central Park's
>
Ramble, where a white woman verbally threatened a black man who asked her
>
to put her dog on a leash.
>
>
Birding While Black Inspires White Aggression In Central Park
>
>
https://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/2020/05/27/birding-whilst-black-inspires-white-aggression-in-central-park/
>
tiny: https://tinyurl.com/ycdl6gyr
>
>
I hope you find this piece informative and thought-provoking.
>
>
--
>
GrrlScientist | at GrrlScientist <https://twitter.com/GrrlScientist>
>
grrlscientist at gmail.com
>
Blogs: Forbes <http://www.forbes.com/sites/grrlscientist/> | Medium
>
<https://medium.com/ at GrrlScientist>
>
sunt lacrimae rerum et mentem mortalia tangunt. [Virgil, Aeneid]
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
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