Elsa Kurt with Clay Novak | Flight of Controversy: The Audubon Society’s Rebranding and Rethinking America’s Name
What's in a name? Well, if you're a bird with a potentially racist namesake or a nation unaware of its naming history, quite a lot it seems. This episode takes flight with a controversy sweeping the birding community as the Audubon Society embarks on a renaming journey, ruffling feathers in the process. They're scrubbing their avian directory clean of racist associations while leaving the "mean" mockingbird untouched. But that's not all, they've also committed a cool $25 million towards fostering a more diverse and inclusive birding community. Feel the atmosphere thicken as we explore this decision and its ripple effects across the bird-watching world.
Now, imagine this - What if the United States of America wasn't the United States of America? A radical thought, one that we dissect with a light-hearted yet thoughtful approach. We divulge how explorer Amerigo Vespucci inadvertently became the namesake of our nation and toy with alternative names such as 'Americania' and the 'Divided States of America'. A hint of satire perhaps, but it's a reflection of the current state of our divided nation. We then invite you, dear listener, to join us in an amusing game of hypotheticals - if you had the reins, what new name would you bestow upon the U.S.A? Don't be a wallflower, tune in, and share your thoughts!
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