ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A Georgia nonprofit dedicated to bird conservation is taking action following controversy surrounding its namesake.
The Georgia Audubon announced Wednesday that it would change its name to Birds Georgia, citing “troublesome revelations” about artist John James Audubon, who was best known for his illustration “The Birds of America.” The Audubon organization described him as a “complex” character who “enslaved Black people and wrote critically about emancipation.”
The Georgia chapter of the Audubon Society said its decision to adopt a new name came unanimously after a task force spent six months investigating “what the Audubon name means in light of the organization’s work, mission, and constituency and how it might impact their ability to attract younger, diverse audiences in the years to come.”
The name change comes after other Audubon Society chapters in cities like Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, D.C., announced they would move away from the Audubon name, Birds Georgia said.
“Our work was not to sit in judgment of the man, but to understand how the Audubon name was either enabling or frustrating our ability to fulfill our mission of building places where birds and people thrive,” said Marc Goncher, Birds Georgia vice chair of the board of directors of the Georgia group.
“From the process, we learned that there are fellow bird conservationists and prospective bird lovers who feel unwelcome when we use the Audubon name,” he said. “As our state continues to diversify and new generations join the birding community, we foresee a declining awareness of the Audubon brand and reduction in positive association with what it was intended to represent. We also heard clearly that our name needs to reflect what our organization is all about … birds.”
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Ga. bird group changes name amid controversy over Audubon - WRDW
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