Home > Author > Lonnie G. Bunch III
1 " Removing statues in many ways is about finding a more accurate history, a history that is more keeping with the best scholarship that we have out there. So for me, it is about making sure we don’t forget what those statues symbolize. It’s about pruning them, removing some, contextualizing others and recognizing that there is nothing wrong with a country recognizing that its identity is evolving over time. And as this identity evolves, so does what it remembers. So it does what it celebrates. "
― Lonnie G. Bunch III
2 " I believe very strongly that museums and libraries, at their best, help the public by defining reality and still giving hope. "
3 " For many museums and libraries, there's a fear about getting involved in the contemporary issue--that you'll be pulled into the partisan times. I think you're gonna be pulled in no matter what. So the key is you should really, I think, do the best work you can to help a nation be made better. Yes, you're not gonna say that we're Democrat or Republican; what you're saying is that for the greater good of a nation, here are some of the ways we can move forward. "
4 " I think that the most important thing we can do as cultural institutions, as learning institutions, is really help the public become more comfortable with ambiguity. As a nation, we really look for simple answers to complex questions, and you see where that's gotten us. I think that what you want to do is help people understand the shades of gray, the nuance, the debates. I think if we could do that, regardless of what history, what culture we're teaching people, what's important is if you can get people to grapple with complexity, then we'd be a better nation. "
5 " What I want to hear from museums in their vision statements is about the greater good, and that greater good is more than service audiences, it's about helping a country find truth, find insight, find nuance, and in many ways, what I hope that cultural institutions like this can do is that they're better suited than most to define reality and to give hope. "
6 " Museums always take a point of view by what they choose to exhibit and what they decide not to exhibit. "
7 " This is not a story--and this is not a moment--for black people. This is a story and a moment for all Americans. And that the more Americans understand their past, understand their commitment, understand how we all are shaped by race, that gives us the kind of foundation to effect change. "
8 " History often teaches us to embrace ambiguity, to understand there aren’t simple answers to complex questions, and Americans tend to like simple answers to complex questions. So the challenge is to use history to help the public feel comfortable with nuance and complexity. "
