WASHINGTON — Lonnie G. Bunch III, the first Black person to lead the Smithsonian Institution and the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), will retire by the end of 2026.
But Bunch is leaving during an extraordinary moment for the institution he has led since 2019.
President Donald Trump’s administration has increased pressure on the Smithsonian over how its museums present American history. The administration has criticized the institution’s treatment of slavery and racism, ordered reviews of museum content and threatened federal support.
Bunch, a historian who has spent nearly four decades at the Smithsonian, has defended the institution’s work. He has also made clear that the White House pressure did not cause his decision to retire.
Still, his departure raises a consequential question: Who will lead the Smithsonian as the federal government seeks greater influence over how the nation’s history is presented?
“It is with very mixed emotions and heartfelt gratitude that I announce my retirement from the Smithsonian,” Bunch said in a statement sent to The Black Wall Street Times. “I have spent nearly half of my life working at and being part of the Smithsonian family, and what a privilege it has been.”
Trump administration escalates pressure on Smithsonian
The confrontation between the Trump administration and the Smithsonian has intensified during Trump’s second term.
In March 2025, Trump issued an executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.” It directed Vice President JD Vance to work through his position on the Smithsonian Board of Regents to remove what the administration characterized as “improper ideology” from Smithsonian museums.
The order specifically singled out the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It accused the museum of portraying American and Western values as “harmful and oppressive” and called for Smithsonian exhibitions to move toward what the administration described as “patriotic education.”
Days later, The Black Wall Street Times reported that NMAAHC Director Kevin Young had taken indefinite leave. The Smithsonian confirmed Young had taken leave but did not publicly explain why or say whether the Trump administration’s actions influenced his absence.
Shanita Brackett subsequently became acting director. Her interim leadership means Bunch is preparing to leave the Smithsonian while the museum he founded is also operating without a permanent director.
The administration continued that effort this year.
A July 24 executive order accused Smithsonian leadership of using American history to advance social justice and “radical transformation.” The order followed a White House review that focused heavily on the National Museum of American History.
Trump pressure raises stakes for Black history museum
Trump has also publicly complained about the Smithsonian’s treatment of slavery.
The dispute escalated again this month. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Vince Haley warned the Smithsonian’s governing board that federal agencies could stop lending artifacts, assisting with procurement and providing discretionary grants under its current leadership.
Bunch has rejected the administration’s characterization of the Smithsonian’s work.
The secretary said a White House report accusing the National Museum of American History of “extreme political activism” and “thinly veiled anti-Americanism” unfairly characterized the museum.
The conflict has implications beyond a single Smithsonian museum. NMAAHC exists specifically to document African American history and demonstrate how that history shaped the United States.
Its exhibitions confront slavery, segregation, and racial violence while documenting Black resistance, culture, achievement, and political power.
The leadership uncertainty at NMAAHC adds another dimension to Bunch’s departure. The museum he spent more than a decade building is approaching its 10th anniversary without a permanent director while the Smithsonian faces sustained political pressure from the White House.
That makes the broader political fight over how the Smithsonian presents American history especially consequential for the museum Bunch built.
Bunch says Trump pressure did not drive retirement
Bunch’s announcement inevitably raises questions about whether the political fight contributed to his departure.
He says it did not.
Bunch says that the White House pressure was not the reason for his retirement, although he acknowledged the demands of leading the institution.
His departure nevertheless follows months of conflict between the administration and Smithsonian leadership.
It also comes after another high-profile Smithsonian departure. National Portrait Gallery Director Kim Sajet resigned after Trump publicly demanded her removal. Trump accused her of being partisan and supporting diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Unlike a Cabinet secretary, however, the Smithsonian secretary does not serve at the pleasure of the president.
The Smithsonian is governed by a Board of Regents. Its structure gives the institution a degree of independence from direct presidential control even though Congress provides significant federal funding.
Bunch’s successor will inherit that complicated relationship.
Lonnie Bunch built a national home for Black history
Bunch’s significance to the Smithsonian predates his historic appointment as secretary.
Congress established the National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2003 after generations of efforts to create a national institution dedicated to Black history.
Bunch became its founding director in 2005.
At the beginning, the museum had no building or collection and only one staff member, according to the Smithsonian.
Bunch helped transform that idea into one of the most prominent Black cultural institutions in the world.
He helped secure the museum’s location on the National Mall and oversaw an international competition to design it. During his tenure, he secured $250 million from Congress and helped raise another $500 million from supporters, according to NMAAHC.
The museum opened Sept. 24, 2016.
Its collection grew to tens of thousands of objects documenting generations of Black life. They include Harriet Tubman’s shawl, Emmett Till’s original casket, Louis Armstrong’s trumpet and artifacts documenting slavery, segregation, the Civil Rights Movement and contemporary Black culture.
“He envisioned a museum of which the American people and their descendants could be proud, a place that would serve as a beacon of hope, reflection and remembrance for future generations,” acting NMAAHC Director Shanita Brackett said in the museum’s statement announcing Bunch’s retirement.
Smithsonian’s first Black secretary prepares to leave
Bunch made history again in 2019.
The Smithsonian Board of Regents selected him as the institution’s 14th secretary, making him the first African American and first historian to hold the position.
He has since overseen the Smithsonian’s museums, research centers, libraries and National Zoo.
Now the Board of Regents must determine who follows him.
Board Chair Franklin D. Raines said an acting secretary will be announced and a national search will begin for Bunch’s permanent successor.
That decision comes as the Smithsonian faces questions about how much political influence the institution can withstand while maintaining its scholarly independence.
Black history museum approaches 10th anniversary
Bunch’s departure also carries symbolism because of its timing.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture will celebrate its 10th anniversary later this month, marking a decade since the institution Bunch helped build opened on the National Mall.
Bunch is scheduled to participate Sept. 25 in a conversation about the museum’s first decade and the importance of African American history to the broader American story.
His retirement statement indicates that he intends to remain engaged in that larger struggle over history.
“It is time for my next chapter,” Bunch said, “a chapter that will allow me to continue to protect the integrity of the Smithsonian and to champion the importance of a history that illuminates and celebrates the complex story of our nation.”
For nearly four decades, Bunch has argued through his work that Black history is not separate from American history.
As he prepares to leave the Smithsonian, the political battle over how that American history should be told is far from over.
