Dr. Lonnie Bunch III gave us many gifts, but his departure leaves a warning

A few weeks ago, Dr. Lonnie Bunch III announced he would be stepping down as the 14th secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the first African American and first historian to serve as head there. Many were first introduced to Bunch when he was named director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, more affectionately known as the “Blacksonian.”

In so many ways, Bunch was the intellectual architect who brought that amazing institution to life –– the same institution Donald Trump said creates a bad picture of America and makes people “feel bad.” In doing so, as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, the president of the United States is attempting to rewrite American history while simultaneously erasing large facets of Black history.

Before leading the Smithsonian Institution and NMAAHC, Bunch led the Chicago History Museum and served as a curator at the California African American Museum. As founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Bunch designed a program of traveling exhibitions and public events before the museum’s 2016 opening. Bunch served as NMAAHC director until 2019, when he was appointed to lead the Smithsonian Institution.

I do not know if we will ever know the full extent of Bunch’s brilliance and dedication as an educator and leader of so many educational and cultural institutions. Think of all the institutions, collections, and exhibits Bunch helped shape and expand. His foundation in education and curation has been his life’s work, and his dedication to the NMAAHC long before it became a physical building should be remembered forever.

The current political moment should give all of us pause. We must continue to support our cultural institutions and museums. As the federal government cuts and suspends funding for small and large museums and threatens the mission of many museums now more than ever, these institutions rely on the generosity of the patrons who come through their doors.

We must become members of these institutions and stewards of our own culture to ensure its continuation for future generations. We may not have the same reaching impact of Lonnie Bunch III on cultural institutions; still, we can make sure his decades of work are not erased during the tenure of one presidential administration.

History is powerful. The role of historians as the keepers of record in our society is something we must hold dear, respect, and support. Words of gratitude seem so small when compared to all Dr Bunch has done for Black people, for the culture, and for America more broadly.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is a professor at Fordham University, author, Senior Policy Fellow at Brooklyn Org, and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.