Antiracist Accountability: When Awful Stories Have Happy Endings

Hello again,

Now for a brief antiracist accountability post, which is ever more crucial given that I did not write one last month.

You may remember the awful episode in May 2020 in which white woman extraordinaire Amy Cooper, aka the Central Park Karen, called NYPD to make false allegations against a Black man just trying to enjoy some birdwatching.  While this was unfortunately only one of a dizzying array of examples of white women abusing their immense privilege and thereby risking getting their Black neighbors and fellow citizens killed, it was particularly ugly to watch her concoct her plan to lie to the police out loud to her potential victim, only to then actually have the audacity to carry that plan out.  The man she could have gotten killed through her attempts to mobilize the violence of the state is Christian Cooper (no relation, obviously?).

It was recently announced that Mr. Cooper will be hosting a 6-episode series on National Geographic (available through Disney+) called "Extraordinary Birder".  Mr. Cooper, who has evidently enjoyed birdwatching since he was 10 years old and has a career history that illustrates that he is extraordinary in many ways beyond his birdwatching, will happily now have the opportunity to share his beloved hobby with viewers worldwide.  Mr. Cooper is clearly a treasure, and the fact that he will now have a larger platform on which to share his love of birds is sure to be a huge treat.

One of the unexpected gifts of being home almost constantly during the past 2+ years has been that I have gotten more and more interested in birdwatching.  I installed a bird feeder I can see from the window over the sink in my kitchen, and it's become a daily pleasure to top up the feeder and feel like a modern-day Disney princess as our neighborhood birds immediately descend to get some snacks.  Even better, my Child has been enjoying several excellent board books profiling a variety of native birds and providing audio of their calls, and is now so keenly aware of birds that he can correctly identify them in the wild from their calls alone.  It is such a joy to share this interest with him, and I am so excited to share Mr. Cooper's show with him!

Be sure to tune in with us!

{Heart}