Racism has John James Audubon’s name dropped from Society chapter

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 Jul 2022 14:57

The environmental organization's Seattle chapter is the first to drop Audubon's name entirely as part of a statewide reckoning with his "racist" legacy.

Artist and ornithologist John James Audubon

The Seattle branch of the National Audubon Society, one of the largest in the United States and named after the artist and ornithologist John James Audubon (1785-1851), will eliminate the word "Audubon" from its name due to its namesake's white supremacist actions and beliefs.

Audubon is best known for his groundbreaking and significant publication 'The Birds of America' (1827-39), an illustrated compilation of the birds of the United States that is today recognized as a singular triumph of ornithological art and research.

'The Birds of America' (1827-39)

But, as his biography on the National Audubon Society’s website details, his legacy is extremely problematic. He purchased and sold enslaved individuals.

In 1834, he wrote in opposition to the abolitionist movement, claiming that Britain had proceeded "imprudently and prematurely" in abolishing slavery in its Caribbean holdings.

Audubon based some of his ornithological work on the observations of Black and Indigenous people, although he claimed sole credit. He collected Mexican soldiers' skulls from a Texas battlefield to contribute to a racist, pseudo-scientific phrenology study that sought to classify human races based on IQ.

Floyd triggers anti-racist movements

In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in the spring of 2020, the National Audubon Society, which was founded 54 years after its namesake's death, began efforts to turn into an anti-racist organization, though neither the national organization nor any of its regional chapters had taken the step of removing Audubon's name until now.

“The shameful legacy of the real John James Audubon, not the mythologized version, is antithetical to the mission of this organization and its values,” Claire Catania, the Seattle chapter’s executive director, said in a statement.

“The challenges facing humans and birds alike demand that we build a radically inclusive coalition to address them. Knowing what we now know and hearing from community members how the Audubon name is harmful to our cause, there is no other choice but to change.”

Name drop

On July 14, the chapter's board of directors resolved to drop the word "Audubon" from its name. There will be no deadline or alternatives for choosing a new name, but the process will be "thoughtful and inclusive," according to an announcement.

“We are here for the birds, for the people, and for nature, not to defend a harmful legacy,” Andrew Schepers, the president of the board of directors at the organization’s Seattle chapter, said in a statement. “We’ve got too much good work to do to let this continue to stand in our way.”

The Audubon Naturalist Society, situated in Washington, DC, stated last October that it would drop the word "Audubon" from its name. The organization's new name is likely to be announced in October of this year.