Uniondale native Christian Cooper gets his own TV show

Christian Cooper, a Uniondale native and graduate of Uniondale High, class of 1984, has accomplished many things in his life, in addition to his brand-new show on the National Geographic TV.

Cooper is a Harvard-educated senior biomedical editor and avid birdwatcher in New York City. He has published science articles, spent time in public schools teaching kids about birding, and has even written and edited for Marvel Comics.

Activism also characterizes Cooper’s life, including service as co-chair of the board of directors of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in the 1980s.

Unfortunately, Cooper is most well-known as the victim of a racially motivated incident in Central Park on May 25, 2020 — the same day as the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Cooper, a Black man, was birdwatching, or “birding,” in a wooded area of Central Park known as “the ramble.” He encountered an unleashed dog nosing in the bushes nearby. It was owned by Amy Cooper, a white woman who ironically bore the same last name.

Christian Cooper politely asked Amy Cooper to leash her dog and informed her of the rules in that area of the park. Amy Cooper responded that the section where she usually walked her dog was closed. An argument ensued that Christian Cooper started recording on his phone, to which Amy Cooper responded by calling 911 and telling the operator that an African American man was threatening her life.

By the time police arrived, both Christian Cooper and Amy Cooper had left the area. Ultimately, Amy Cooper lost her job and was later charged with filing a false police report. After she completed a five-session educational and therapeutic program focused on racial identity, the charges were dropped.

Three years have passed since this incident and Christian Cooper is now the host of his own television show, “Extraordinary Birder,” on National Geographic and Disney Plus. It premiered on June 17.

“Extraordinary Birder” follows Christian Cooper as he travels around the world to exotic locations, displaying the wonders of avian life and connecting with other birders.

In addition to exploring the natural world, “Extraordinary Birder” also touches on Cooper’s experiences as a Black birder in a predominantly White space, and pushes for more representation and inclusion for people of color in the outdoor community.

Cooper’s memoir, “Better Living Through Birding: Notes from a Black Man in the Natural World,” was published by Random House earlier this year. On p. 246, he touches on the Central Park incident, saying he knew the meaning of a white woman accusing a Black man — “potentially a world of trouble heading my way.”

But he has moved on.

“One of the things I hope with this book,” said Cooper in his memoir, “and especially with the TV show, is that a lot young Black and Brown kids will see this show, with a host who looks like them, and maybe it’ll be possible for them to imagine themselves birding and to get out there and do it.”