Why Is the Smithsonian Leadership Transition Under Fire?
By Darius Spearman (africanelements)
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The Departure of a Trailblazing Historian
The announcement that Lonnie G. Bunch III will retire as Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution marks a major turning point. Bunch has served the institution for nearly thirty-eight years as a curator, museum director, and top executive (washingtonpost.com, cbsnews.com). In 2019, he made history by becoming the fourteenth Secretary of the complex. This appointment broke a 173-year color barrier, making him the first African American and the first professional historian to lead the institution (wikipedia.org, washingtonpost.com).
His planned departure at age seventy-three comes during a period of fierce political debates over cultural preservation (washingtonpost.com, cbsnews.com). While Bunch stated that his decision stems from a desire to step back from administrative exhaustion, he acknowledged the heavy burden of the work (washingtonpost.com, washingtonpost.com). He noted that he has fought as hard as possible to protect truthful history (washingtonpost.com, washingtonpost.com). Consequently, his exit leaves the world largest museum complex at a high-stakes crossroads (wikipedia.org, theartnewspaper.com).
Lonnie Bunch: Institutional Footprint
From a Staff of One to the National Mall
Before leading the entire institution, Bunch achieved a historic milestone by building a national museum from scratch (wikipedia.org, washingtonpost.com). In 2005, he became the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture (wikipedia.org, washingtonpost.com). At that time, the museum had no physical site, no permanent collection, and a staff consisting of only himself (washingtonpost.com, cbsnews.com). Many critics doubted that the project would ever reach completion (washingtonpost.com).
Through relentless fundraising and community outreach, Bunch and his team gathered over thirty thousand historical artifacts (washingtonpost.com, cbsnews.com). They acquired sacred items ranging from Harriet Tubman personal shawls to freedom papers and Jim Crow railcars (washingtonpost.com). When the building opened in September 2016, it established Black history at the core of the National Mall (wikipedia.org, washingtonpost.com). The museum has since welcomed more than thirteen million visitors, showing a deep public appetite for honest scholarship (washingtonpost.com).
What Is a Trust Instrumentality?
To understand the current political battle, one must examine how the Smithsonian is structured. In 1846, Congress established the institution using a financial bequest from British scientist James Smithson (wikipedia.org, usgovernmentmanual.gov). The original charter created a unique legal structure called a trust instrumentality (wikipedia.org, usgovernmentmanual.gov). This classification means the complex is a quasi-federal hybrid rather than an executive branch department (usgovernmentmanual.gov).
Because of this structure, the President of the United States cannot directly command museum curators or hire and fire staff (usgovernmentmanual.gov). Governance instead belongs to a seventeen-member Board of Regents (wikipedia.org, usgovernmentmanual.gov). This board includes the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Vice President, six members of Congress, and nine citizen regents (wikipedia.org, usgovernmentmanual.gov). The Smithsonian receives direct congressional appropriations for maintenance, yet it also relies heavily on private donations and trust funds (usgovernmentmanual.gov). This balance reflects the complex sharing of federal power across national institutions.
Smithsonian Operational Funding Split
Political Pressures and Executive Directives
Federal pressure on public history has intensified significantly over the past two years (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). The White House issued Executive Order 14253, entitled Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). This directive ordered executive agencies to target materials that critical scholars use to analyze race and power (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). The order singled out federal museums and historical markers, demanding the removal of what it described as improper ideology (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov).
Furthermore, policy reports from the executive branch criticized exhibitions at the National Museum of American History and other venues (washingtonpost.com). Officials argued that displays focusing on structural inequality fail to present an inspiring vision of the republic (washingtonpost.com, whitehouse.gov). They demanded that federal cultural entities emphasize patriotic celebration instead of institutional shortcomings (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). These actions reflect long-standing shifting political narratives that seek to reshape public memory during national transitions.
Threats to Museum Funding and Operations
Although the White House cannot fire museum leaders directly, political officials possess other powerful levers (washingtonpost.com, usgovernmentmanual.gov). Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued letters warning the Smithsonian leadership about potential funding restrictions (washingtonpost.com, cbsnews.com). The administration threatened to withhold interagency grants and launch investigations into institutional culture (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). Such administrative actions create severe obstacles for daily museum operations (washingtonpost.com).
In addition, federal officials threatened to block interagency artifact loans and halt collaborative research projects (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). Executive agencies also warned that they could disrupt procurement channels and logistical support (washingtonpost.com). Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers have proposed budget restrictions targeting exhibits that address race-conscious scholarship (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). These combined measures exert immense pressure on cultural administrators who seek to protect educational independence (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com).
Federal Pressure Levers on Cultural Agencies
The Struggle for Multi-Vocal American History
At the center of this controversy sits the concept of multi-vocal American history (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). This historiographical method presents the past through multiple, overlapping perspectives rather than a single triumphant narrative (washingtonpost.com). It integrates the experiences of African Americans, Indigenous nations, and working communities directly into the national story (washingtonpost.com). Lonnie Bunch championed this approach throughout his entire professional career (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com).
This inclusive framework examines the deep realities of chattel slavery and racial violence (washingtonpost.com, whitehouse.gov). It also explores the legal systems that enforced involuntary servitude after emancipation across the American South. However, political critics label these truthful examinations as radical ideology (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). This clash mirrors historical conflicting racial ideologies regarding who gets to define the core meaning of American freedom.
The 2026 Semiquincentennial Battleground
The upcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence has added immense fuel to this national debate (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). The year 2026 marks the nation Semiquincentennial milestone (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). Conservative leaders argue that this anniversary must focus strictly on patriotic achievements and national greatness (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov). They demand that federal exhibitions project uncritical celebrations of founding principles (whitehouse.gov, whitehouse.gov).
In contrast, Black scholars and independent historians maintain that the milestone requires an honest reckoning (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). They assert that true patriotism demands confronting the paradox of liberty existing alongside human bondage (washingtonpost.com). The battle over anniversary programming has turned museum galleries into frontline civic spaces (washingtonpost.com, whitehouse.gov). Consequently, federal cultural leaders face intense political scrutiny over every label and exhibit planned for 2026 (washingtonpost.com, whitehouse.gov).
Protecting Black Historical Truth for the Future
The retirement of Lonnie Bunch forces the Board of Regents to make a critical choice (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). The regents hold exclusive legal authority to conduct the search for the fifteenth Secretary (usgovernmentmanual.gov). Chief Justice John Roberts and the board members must choose between an uncompromising scholar or a candidate willing to yield to external political pressure (wikipedia.org, washingtonpost.com).
Ultimately, preserving Black cultural institutions requires continuous civic vigilance (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). The National Museum of African American History and Culture was built through grassroots determination and community advocacy (washingtonpost.com). Its survival as an honest institution depends on protecting curators from ideological censorship (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com). As the nation approaches historical milestones, the defense of truthful scholarship remains vital for the future of democratic education (washingtonpost.com, theartnewspaper.com).
About the Author
Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching for over 20 years. He is the founder of African Elements, a media platform dedicated to providing educational resources on the history and culture of the African diaspora. Through his work, Spearman aims to empower and educate by bringing historical context to contemporary issues affecting the Black community.
