By Dawn Michelle LaGuerre
Mohawk Valley Voice
Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III is using a new personal essay to reflect on how museums can help Americans see themselves in the nation’s history as he prepares to retire.
Featured image: AI-generated watercolor illustration of a historian’s desk with books and archives. Not Lonnie Bunch’s actual workspace. Illustration by Mohawk Valley Voice.
The essay, published October 29 in Smithsonian magazine, looks back on his childhood introduction to the institution and the colleagues who helped build the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Bunch describes the Smithsonian as a place where he found a sense of welcome and possibility. He connects that personal history to his role as the first African American and first historian to lead the institution.
The retirement was announced in September
The new essay is a reflection on an already-announced transition. The Smithsonian announced Bunch’s retirement September 8. Its release said he planned to conclude his tenure by the end of 2026 and that the Board of Regents would announce an acting secretary and begin a national search.
Bunch became secretary in June 2019. Before that, he led the creation of the African American history museum, starting as founding director in 2005 and helping bring it to its September 2016 opening.
A museum built around the African American story
In its own September tribute, the museum described Bunch’s work bringing together historians, curators, supporters and collections for a national institution. It credits him with overseeing acquisitions including Harriet Tubman’s hymnal and shawl and Louis Armstrong’s trumpet.
Those objects connect individual lives to a broader public history. The museum’s online collections and Searchable Museum portal also give readers outside Washington a way to explore that history.
The October essay does not announce a successor or a new retirement date. Its focus is Bunch’s experience of the institution and his hopes for the people who will continue its work.