Portland Audubon will change name to separate from namesake’s racist beliefs

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Portland Audubon announced Tuesday it will change its name to distance itself from the racist slaveholder the society is named after. 

The Portland Audubon hasn’t decided what its new name will be, but it’s certain it will no longer include “Audubon.” 

The National Audubon Society was named in honor of John James Audubon who was an ornithologist and naturalist famous for cataloging birds across the country in his book “Birds of America.” 

However, he also enslaved and sold Black people, opposed the abolition of slavery, and robbed the graves of Native Americans. 

Over the last few years, since the social and racial justice movement of 2020, the birding community has been rethinking its relationship with the John James Audubon name. 

The Portland chapter of the society is one of many across the country that share the Audubon name. But since 2020, several have decided to drop it. Portland will follow in the footsteps of Seattle Audubon, Madison Audubon, Chicago Audubon, and the Audubon Naturalist Society. 

The National Audubon Society has also spent the last year discussing whether it will continue with the Audubon name. 

In Portland, the board voted in January to move away from the name. 

“In order to best achieve our mission as an organization committed to racial equity and the environment, we cannot continue to condone bearing a name that celebrates a slaveholder who embraced white supremacist systems,” Portland Audubon said in a press release. 

Portland Audubon said it strongly urges the National Audubon Society’s board to “do the right thing” and move forward in the renaming process. Changing the name of the national society, they said, would allow the network to stay intact and help chapters move forward together with a unified voice. 

If the national society decides to not remove Audubon from its name, the Portland Audubon still plans to move forward with its name change process. 

When deciding its new name, Portland Audubon will accept input from its members, partners, sister chapters across the state and the community. 

“By changing our name, we get to more fully live our values as an organization committed to racial equity, and create a place where people from all communities can come together for nature,” said Stuart Wells, executive director of the Portland Audubon. 

Regardless of what its name is, the Portland group said its mission remains to inspire people to love and protect birds, wildlife and the natural environment.