A Problem Closer to Home (literally)

You all will likely recognize this view, as it’s been in the background for all my Zoom appearances, both this semester and last.

It’s a print from John James Audubon’s Birds of America, a massive volume full of color illustrations created not merely as art but as science: an effort to establish “type specimens” of many birds.

It turns out that Audubon is a bit of a racist, though: link. I saw this article just this morning. It was the first I heard about Audubon’s history as a slave owner and racist. Read the article and then come back to class ready to discuss the real and pressing question of whether I need to remove that image from my wall.