I’m still trying to figure out how to express all of the things that are wrestling around in my brain trying to get out. So bear with me as it starts pouring out.
First of all, I’m a white guy- a queer, middle-aged white guy and I bird. I know what it means to walk around the woods or trails or even neighborhoods with binoculars or a camera with a zoom lens. I know what it is to catch excited glimpses of birds showing themselves off on branches. I know what it feels like to go to familiar places over and over again to enjoy looking deeper into the brush and re-spotting a nest or some bird that I saw before. I do not know what it feels like to do any of these things while being black, though. That is part of my privilege.
With all the things that have been popping up lately (from Chris Cooper in NY to George Floyd in Minnesota to Breonna Taylor in Kentucky to Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia) I feel the need to address what I can. These names are important. But these people also represent the experiences that people of color have been having for a long time in this country. It’s not enough to feel bad. And it’s not enough to let someone else do the work of changing the world.
When I take my students out on field trips, I want them to be amazed at nature- to be excited by everything they’re seeing, hearing, smelling. I don’t want them to be afraid that they’ll be victimized for it. But I need to acknowledge that many of them don’t experience the world the way that I do. I need to educate myself about their experiences in the same way that I strive to learn about the wildlife around my house. That’s my responsibility. And until we all (and by all, I really mean all us white people) take the initiative and try to learn about these experiences, then we just keep repeating the same patterns.
I started this blog years ago (and have written in fits and starts) as a means of re-connecting me to some of the science literature about birds that I love. It was also a respite from the rest of the world- sort of a mental recess for me to do something that I enjoy and share it with others. Right now, the rest of the world is yelling too loudly. It’s hurting and it needs some attention. If you don’t understand why, there are plenty of good resources out there. If you don’t know what you can do, try google. Better yet, if you’ve read my previous posts, you’ll know that I try to back up what I say with data- actual research. There are a lot of passionate speakers, but there are also lots of good, quality, peer-reviewed, well-researched articles/books/podcasts about race and race relations in this country. Go find those! Do your homework.
Look, here’s a ton of stuff or here. It’s not a new topic. The only way to stop the murders and change the way the system works is for everyone to start learning. I am an educator. I believe that education builds capacity to understanding the world around us and to understanding each other. I can’t experience the world the way other people do, but I can learn to empathize with them by learning about their experiences. So can you.
Oh and if you don’t think voting is important ‘cuz nothing ever changes, think again. It’s got to be one of the starting places. The more you learn about other people’s experiences, the more you understand your own position in the system, the more capacity you have to think that there are no “those people” (as in, those people should do…), there is only “us”.
Birding Without Binoculars 