Dear Neighbors,
I know nothing about birds but I do love watching and drawing them. I am always in awe of birders’ knowledge and tenacity. Did you know that last week was Black Birders Week? This campaign was organized in response to the incident in Central Park, where a hysterical white lady called the police on a Black man who was birding, and falsely claimed he was threatening her life, which could have resulted in his arrest, brutality, or worse at the hands of the cops.
In the words of co-organizer Corina Newsome: “For far too long, Black people in the United States have been shown that outdoor exploration activities such as birding are not for us—whether it be because of the way the media chooses to present who is the ‘outdoorsy’ type or the racism experienced by Black people when we do explore the outdoors, as we saw recently in Central Park. Well, we’ve decided to change that narrative.” Check out the wonderful work that @outdoorafro is doing to celebrate and inspire Black leadership in nature. Now go outside and find some birds!
Love and light,
Avery O
