Talk:John James Audubon

Category:American slave owners
No mention of slave-owning. I feel that this category should be restricted to people whose slave-owning history was notable in itself. Valetude (talk) 12:50, 22 April 2021 (UTC)


 * His racism and slave-owning history appear to be getting more notable these days. Time for a revision? https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/03/15/national-audubon-society-name-change/ 168.91.254.70 (talk) 21:20, 22 March 2023 (UTC)


 * No mention? CTRL-F reveals half a dozen variations on "slave" in the article. Ann Teak (talk) 21:54, 22 March 2023 (UTC)

I searched for “slave” on my own when I read the article. Surely the discussion of his slave-owning history merits a section of its own. See

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/18/1164293652/audubon-faces-a-backlash-after-deciding-to-keep-name-that-evokes-a-racist-enslav

‘Famous naturalist John James Audubon "did despicable things" and supported his work by buying and selling enslaved people — and that's according to the organization that bears his name. But the National Audubon Society's board of directors rejected the idea of changing its name this week, setting off resignations amid plans from local groups to rename themselves anyway.

‘This week's vote focused on whether the nonprofit should decide whether to keep Audubon's name or change it. No new names were considered as possible alternatives.

‘The organization cited two main reasons for keeping Audubon's name: it's grappling with the critical challenge facing birds and other wildlife due to climate change and other pressures; and it believes the name of the group, founded some 50 years after Audubon's death, "has come to represent so much more than the work of one person."

‘Still, it added, "We must reckon with the racist legacy." ‘ Jo3sampl (talk) 14:41, 7 August 2023 (UTC)


 * I agree that it seems time for a section on recent reevaluation of his history regarding slave-holding. For example the Portland Audubon Society has changed its name to remove Audubon, citing his slave-owning and opposition to abolition. - Eponymous-Archon (talk) 17:41, 10 February 2024 (UTC) Eponymous-Archon (talk) 17:41, 10 February 2024 (UTC)

Audubon's repugnant views and behavior
According to Margaret Renkl in the New York Times Opinion essay "North American Birds Will No Longer Be Named for Racists — or Anybody Else" Nov. 13, 2023, "John James Audubon, the naturalist for whom the Audubon’s shearwater is named, was an unrepentant slaveholder who opposed emancipation." I could not find any information in Wikipedia's Audubon article on his enslavement of people and opposition to emancipation. This seems like a significant oversight. Eieio2023 (talk) 16:27, 14 November 2023 (UTC)