 |
| John James Audubon painted every known bird in America during the early 1800s, a feat that earned him international acclaim. This 1826 portrait by Scottish artist John Syme hangs in the White House. Courtesy White House Collection/ White House Historical Association |
The artist’s racism is a hot issue for many
organizations bearing his name.
(published 8-6-21)
Years ago, when working in Chicago, I would occasionally
drift into an art gallery in the Wrigley Building that specialized in the works
of John James Audubon. The big, beautiful paintings filled me with awe. My
admiration for Audubon soared with each visit.
Recently, though, my feelings about the most famous
American bird artist have changed. I am still fascinated by his life
(1785-1851) and impressed by his “Birds of America” masterwork. But his legend
blinded me from seeing the unsavory aspects of his character.
My eyes were opened by an essay in the spring issue
of Audubon,
published by the National Audubon Society. The author, J. Drew Lanham, a Black
birder and ornithologist, examined the problematic legacy of John James
Audubon, a slave owner and perpetuator of white supremacist culture.
“The stories of icons and heroes are critical, but
what happens when truth rubs the shine off to reveal tarnished reality?” Lanham
asks.
The truth about Audubon was always available. We
mostly chose to ignore it. As a kid, Lanham says he idolized Audubon: “In every
book, John James was woodsy and heroic, the kind of birdwatcher I wanted to
be.”
 |
| Birds of America Plate 66: Ivory-billed Woodpecker |
There is a course offered by the School of the Art
Institute of Chicago called “Love the Art, Hate the Artist.” I wanted to ask
the instructor, Eileen Favorite, if Audubon’s name had ever surfaced in her
class. She did not respond to my outreach, but the bird painter would be a strong
candidate for discussion.
Audubon is not the only name in play. There is a
push to change the common names of birds named after people because some of
those people are tied to racism. In 2020, McCown’s longspur was reclassified as
thick-billed longspur. The species was discovered in 1851 by John P. McCown,
who later would serve the Confederate Army in defense of slavery.
About 150 of North America’s birds are named after people—including two species named after Audubon himself. The American Ornithological Society has expressed a commitment to changing “exclusionary or harmful” bird names. More to come, and probably sooner than later. A campaign called Bird Names for Birds is gathering support.
Meanwhile, as Lanham titled his essay, What do we do
about John James Audubon? The name is everywhere. There is National Audubon and
its affiliated local and regional chapters. There are also independent
organizations that use the name, like Illinois Audubon Society, which has
chapters of its own, such as Kane County Audubon.
 |
| Birds of America Plate 102: Blue Jay |
Perception is reality. The country band Lady Antebellum changed its name to Lady A in 2020. Done. Problem solved.
If only the Audubon issue was that simple. Hundreds
of Audubon-branded conservation groups and bird clubs, some more than a century
old, are affected.
Illinois Audubon, founded in 1897, will chart its
own course of action and independently address the question of changing its
name, Herkert told me. But more important, he said, is the need to engage a
more diverse audience around the urgency of conservation, especially bird
conservation. Part of that involves making nature (and birding) more accessible
for all people.
“Actions are what matter,” Herkert said.
“Conservation needs to be more inclusive, equitable and just. If all that
happens out of this is a few groups change their name, then we’ve missed the
boat.”
Illinois Audubon established a Diversity and
Inclusion Committee last year to help chart its future. National Audubon, likewise,
is taking steps to deepen its commitment to antiracism while reassessing its
own history and connection to its namesake.
For a different perspective, I contacted Brian “Fox”
Ellis, an Illinois-based storyteller, book author and naturalist. He’s been
portraying JJA for nearly two decades, and last year published “Adventures with
John James Audubon.”
 |
| Birds of America Plate 159: Cardinal Grosbeak |
“I have always made an effort to present history
unvarnished, warts and all, because it is the drama that makes history exciting
and honest,” Ellis said.
“Audubon owned slaves. He sold and traded human
beings. This is unforgivable. Yet it does not erase his accomplishments in art
and ornithology, his poetry.”
JJA was the first person to paint every bird in North America, some 497 species known in his day. He did it well: a first edition of “The Birds of America” went for $9.65 million at auction in 2018. Audubon also contributed to science by writing detailed biographies for each bird, some of them previously unknown.
When reenacting Audubon or any other historical
figure—he portrays about 30—Ellis said he trusts in the intelligence of his
audience members, allowing them to filter through the facts and form their own
opinions.
In the case of Audubon, he believes “we can honor
his brilliance and creativity while acknowledging his sins.”
But for the organizations that bear Audubon’s name,
the reckoning continues.
Is a massive (and costly) rebranding ahead, or will
the Audubon label survive? Some big decisions lie ahead for the various
national, state and local Audubon groups that conduct vital work for the
benefit of birds and other wildlife.
For every one of them, the question “What’s in a
name?” has never been more relevant.
Copyright 2021 by Jeff Reiter. All rights reserved.