Subject: [Tweeters] Birding While Black Inspires White Aggression In Central Park
Date: Wed May 27 12:56:05 PDT 2020
From: Robert O'Brien - baro at pdx.edu

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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