One of the nation's largest bird conservation nonprofits is facing new pressure to rebrand after several local chapters decided to drop the name Audubon.
"We cannot continue to condone bearing a name that celebrates a slaveholder who embraced white supremacist systems," reads a recent release from the Portland Audubon.
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The National Audubon Society is named after John James Audubon, an artist and explorer who set out in the early 19th century to document all of North America's birds. But he was also a slaveholder who opposed the abolitionist movement, according to the Audubon Society.
The national organization has been considering a name change since 2020, when a renewed push for anti-racism and social justice swept across the United States.
In Portland, a variety of institutions and monuments deemed racist were targeted during nightly demonstrations. Groups toppled statues of former Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. The local arts council later recommended the statues not be restored and that art representing "more diverse cultural identities" be installed instead.
At least two public schools in Portland have also changed their names in light of the 2020 protests.
"Over the last few years, coinciding with a time of racial reckoning, the birding community has been rethinking its relationship with the John James Audubon name," the Portland Audubon wrote. "We strongly urge National Audubon Society’s board to do the right thing and move forward with a collaborative renaming process."
Both the Portland and Chicago chapters say they will proceed with their own renaming process if the National Audubon doesn't act.
A union representing Audubon employees has already renamed itself The Bird Union, announcing the change late last month and condemning Audubon as "a racist white man who enslaved at least nine Black people."
"We will not elevate and celebrate a person who would reject and oppress our union members today," the statement reads.
The Seattle Audubon, meanwhile, could announce a new name as soon as June, according to its projected timeline. The chapter is also searching for an artist to create a new logo that reflects its "mission around birds, urban conservation, and antiracism."
The National Audubon Society did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
