Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of Smithsonian Institution, Talks Story with Bill Gwaltney

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Guides and Interpreters

Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Interpreters and Guides was honored to recently interview Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution—and its first African American and first historian to hold the position.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952 to educators Lonnie II and Montrose Bunch, Dr. Bunch earned his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. in American and African American history from American University. His career began at the Smithsonian while completing his master’s degree, and he has since become a leading figure in museums, education, and interpretation.

Dr. Bunch’s groundbreaking contributions include serving as founding director of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) from 2005 to 2019. There, he led traveling exhibitions and public programs before opening the museum to global acclaim. Previously, he directed the Chicago History Museum, held curatorial roles at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, and served at the California African American Museum.

A member of the American Philosophical Society, Dr. Bunch has also contributed to historic preservation, serving on the White House Preservation Commission under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. On May 28, 2019, he was elected Secretary of the Smithsonian, where he continues to shape the future of cultural storytelling.

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