Society & Culture / Social Issues / Race & Ethnicity

Why a Black Bird Scientist Had to Quit His Research: The Dark Side of Nature

The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature

J. Drew Lanham

In 'The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature', J. Drew Lanham, a celebrated wildlife ecologist and ornithologist, reveals a world where science meets soul, and race meets the wild. This isn't just a memoir—it's a raw, poetic journey through the South's forests and fields, where a Black man finds love, fear, and freedom in nature. Lanham challenges the sterile labs and ivory towers, arguing that true conservation is about stories, not just data. He uncovers the shocking truth about blue jay family dramas, the hidden geology shaping church beliefs, and the painful history that made many Black people avoid the land. But he also shows how reclaiming that land can heal deep wounds. Prepare to have your assumptions about nature, race, and science blown apart. Watch to discover why nature doesn't care about your color, but your experience in it does.