Description: Lonnie G. Bunch III (b. 1952) became the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on June 15, 2019.Bunch is the first African American and first historian to be appointed to the role. Best known as founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture from 2005 to 2019, Bunch has had a long career with the Smithsonian. He was raised in New
Description: Folklife presentation, education, and research began at the Smithsonian Institution in 1967 with the first annual Festival of American Folklife held on the National Mall. To this day, the festival features performers, crafts people, and community groups from the United States and foreign countries. The festival was started by folklorist Ralph C. Rinzler (1934-1994). Originally