New York City Audubon changes name to distance itself from racist namesake

Audubon was best known for inspiring the conservation movement. But he also profited from the slave trade and espoused racist pseudoscience. Photograph: Bettmann/Bettmann Archive

One of the nation’s largest birding and conservation groups is changing its name to distance itself from a 19th-century enslaver.

New York City Audubon announced on Thursday that it would become the NYC Bird Alliance in an effort to “broaden our reach and deepen our impact across the diverse communities of New York City” after an “overwhelming majority” of members voted in favor of the change.