The National Audubon Society organization, and our chapter, Space Coast Audubon, fully support black birders, as well as equal rights of people of all races in every case. We have been following the growing unrest in our country as it comes to racial division.
In particular, the Central Park birdwatching incident drove home the fact that racism affects the very activity that we love so much.
Please consider the following resources to learn more about this subject and how you can help, even just by educating yourself about the issues. These resources have been recommended to us by the National Audubon Society.
Pieces about Birding While Black
- Corina Newsome and the Black Birders Movement from The New Yorker
- Dr. J. Drew Lanham’s keynote address from the 2017 Audubon Convention
- Jason Ward’s essay on how the woods can be perilous for Black people
- Journalist Brentin Mock’s interview on birding as a Black man
Recommended Books about Racism
- Ibram X. Kendi’s How To Be an Antiracist
- Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
- Ijeoma Oluo’s So You Want To Talk About Race
You can also read more in this piece from our parent organization, the National Audubon Society.
Finally, the National Audubon Society is making changes regarding John James Audubon, whom our organization was named after. Please see the article entitled “Revealing the Past to Create the Future” on their website.