Retiring Smithsonian head Lonnie G. Bunch III: "You can run from history, but you can't hide"
Summary
Lonnie G. Bunch III is retiring as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, a position he has held since 2019. During his tenure, he focused on telling truthful and sometimes difficult stories about American history, despite recent criticism and funding threats from President Donald Trump’s administration.Key Facts
- Lonnie G. Bunch III became the first African American and first historian to lead the Smithsonian in 2019.
- He began his career nearly 50 years ago at the National Air and Space Museum, where the Wright Brothers' first airplane is displayed.
- Bunch believes museums are important storytellers that help Americans understand their history fully.
- President Trump criticized the Smithsonian in 2025, accusing it of promoting a "divisive, race-centered ideology" and threatened to cut its funding.
- A government report labeled the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History as having exhibits made by people who do not want visitors to love the country.
- Bunch said he stayed in his position partly to protect the Smithsonian and its mission amid political pressure.
- He emphasized the importance of sharing both the proud and painful parts of history.
- Bunch mentioned that Smithsonian staff care deeply about the country and that history is complex, with no simple answers.
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