Lonnie G. Bunch III (born November 18, 1952) is an American educator and historian. Bunch is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the first African American and first historian to serve as head of the Smithsonian.[a][b] He has spent most of his career as a history museum curator and administrator. Bunch served as the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) from 2005 to 2019. He previously served as president and director of the Chicago History Museum (Chicago Historical Society) from 2000 to 2005.[3] In the 1980s, he was the first curator at the California African American Museum, and then a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, wherein the 1990s, he rose to head curatorial affairs. In 2020 he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.[4] Early life Bunch was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952[5] to Lonnie Bunch II (a science and chemistry public school teacher) and Montrose Bunch (a third-grade public school teacher),[6] both graduates of Shaw University, one of the oldest HBCUs in the South.[7] He grew up in Belleville, New Jersey, where his family were the only African Americans in their neighborhood. His grandfather, a former sharecropper, moved into the area as one of the first black dentists in the region.[8] As a child, he experienced racism from white teenagers in his neighborhood.[8] Bunch credits his childhood experiences with local Italian immigrants and his reading of biographies as a youth with inspiring him to study history. He wanted to give a voice to those who were "anonymous" or not written about. Reflecting in 2011 on the early exposures, Bunch said: "I was in junior high, and we were reading biographies of historic figures. I remember one on Gen. ‘Mad Anthony’ Wayne, and one on Clara Barton, and Dorothea Dix. I thought, ‘Were there no histories of black people?’ One day, I was going through my grandfather's trunk and I found a book about black soldiers in the First World War. I devoured it."[7] Education He graduated from Belleville High School in 1970.[5] Bunch attended Howard University[5] but transferred to American University, Washington, DC, where he earned his B.A. and M.A. in American history and African history.[9][5] Professional career Bunch moderating a civil rights panel at the LBJ Library, 2014 Bunch started working at the Smithsonian Institution while he was working on his master's degree. After graduating, he was hired as a history professor at the University of Maryland. In 1983, he became the first curator at the California African American Museum.[5] He worked at the National Museum of American History from 1989 until 1994 as a curator. He was promoted to Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the museum before leaving in 2000 to become the president of one of the nation's oldest museums in history, the Chicago Historical Society (Chicago History Museum), from 2001 to 2005.[10] In Chicago he led a successful capital campaign, and promoted outreach to diverse communities. One noted exhibit, Teen Chicago, focused on teenager life.[11] In 2005, Bunch was named the director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.[9] As founding director he designed a program of traveling exhibitions and public events prior to the opening of the museum.[12] He also served on the Commission for the Preservation of the White House during the George W. Bush administration[5] and was reappointed to the Commission by President Barack Obama in 2010. On May 28, 2019, Bunch was elected Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He became the first historian and first African American to lead the Smithsonian in its 173-year history, taking on his new role in mid-June 2019[13] On February 12, 2021, Bunch was appointed to the Congressionally-mandated Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.[14] Exhibits and research He curated the National Museum of American History exhibition The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.[7] The exhibition was curated, built, and opened within eight months.[15] Personal life Bunch met Maria Marable in graduate school; they would eventually marry and she became Maria Marable-Bunch.[16] The couple has two daughters.[17]
How appropriate these words are for the world of 2020, the mess we are in, & the complete lack of leadership by the current occupant of the White House
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
Nicely Written POTUS Obama. I went to the NAAMHC last week and I was in complete Awe. Thank you to everyone who made this possible.
You must go to the Smithton African museum it is the most spectacular place you will ever see in your life
I live in Kenya and one place I whish to visit is this place.
This moment is so precious! We will always be thankful for President Barack Obama's journey & leadership.
instaBlaster...
I absolutely love the humbleness of you #PresidentBarackObama! Thank you for blessing the world with getting to see who else we are!
Gonna miss this guy!
Lonnie G. Bunch III (born November 18, 1952) is an American educator and historian. Bunch is the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, the first African American and first historian to serve as head of the Smithsonian.[a][b] He has spent most of his career as a history museum curator and administrator.
Bunch served as the founding director of the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) from 2005 to 2019. He previously served as president and director of the Chicago History Museum (Chicago Historical Society) from 2000 to 2005.[3] In the 1980s, he was the first curator at the California African American Museum, and then a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, wherein the 1990s, he rose to head curatorial affairs. In 2020 he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.[4]
Early life
Bunch was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952[5] to Lonnie Bunch II (a science and chemistry public school teacher) and Montrose Bunch (a third-grade public school teacher),[6] both graduates of Shaw University, one of the oldest HBCUs in the South.[7] He grew up in Belleville, New Jersey, where his family were the only African Americans in their neighborhood. His grandfather, a former sharecropper, moved into the area as one of the first black dentists in the region.[8] As a child, he experienced racism from white teenagers in his neighborhood.[8] Bunch credits his childhood experiences with local Italian immigrants and his reading of biographies as a youth with inspiring him to study history. He wanted to give a voice to those who were "anonymous" or not written about. Reflecting in 2011 on the early exposures, Bunch said: "I was in junior high, and we were reading biographies of historic figures. I remember one on Gen. ‘Mad Anthony’ Wayne, and one on Clara Barton, and Dorothea Dix. I thought, ‘Were there no histories of black people?’ One day, I was going through my grandfather's trunk and I found a book about black soldiers in the First World War. I devoured it."[7]
Education
He graduated from Belleville High School in 1970.[5] Bunch attended Howard University[5] but transferred to American University, Washington, DC, where he earned his B.A. and M.A. in American history and African history.[9][5]
Professional career
Bunch moderating a civil rights panel at the LBJ Library, 2014
Bunch started working at the Smithsonian Institution while he was working on his master's degree. After graduating, he was hired as a history professor at the University of Maryland. In 1983, he became the first curator at the California African American Museum.[5] He worked at the National Museum of American History from 1989 until 1994 as a curator. He was promoted to Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs at the museum before leaving in 2000 to become the president of one of the nation's oldest museums in history, the Chicago Historical Society (Chicago History Museum), from 2001 to 2005.[10] In Chicago he led a successful capital campaign, and promoted outreach to diverse communities. One noted exhibit, Teen Chicago, focused on teenager life.[11]
In 2005, Bunch was named the director of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture.[9] As founding director he designed a program of traveling exhibitions and public events prior to the opening of the museum.[12]
He also served on the Commission for the Preservation of the White House during the George W. Bush administration[5] and was reappointed to the Commission by President Barack Obama in 2010.
On May 28, 2019, Bunch was elected Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. He became the first historian and first African American to lead the Smithsonian in its 173-year history, taking on his new role in mid-June 2019[13] On February 12, 2021, Bunch was appointed to the Congressionally-mandated Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense that Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily with the Confederate States of America.[14]
Exhibits and research
He curated the National Museum of American History exhibition The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden.[7] The exhibition was curated, built, and opened within eight months.[15]
Personal life
Bunch met Maria Marable in graduate school; they would eventually marry and she became Maria Marable-Bunch.[16] The couple has two daughters.[17]
They had to rush to get this Museum open while he was still President! After all this is one of the reason he was installed as President.
"installed" lmao you're a clown
If they did rush this to be opened its the best thing they could've done, so that deplorable in the White House right now had nothing to do with it
O how we will miss Obama when he's gone
🙏🏾
Daniel Berhane d
How appropriate these words are for the world of 2020, the mess we are in, & the complete lack of leadership by the current occupant of the White House
I miss him in office