News

Lonnie Bunch defends Smithsonian’s truth-telling mission at John Lewis Gala

Historian condemns efforts to erase African American history.
Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, speaks at a gala in honor of the late congressman John Lewis, calling on the nation to protect its truths and push back against the erasure of African American history. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

Credit: Zaire Breedlove

Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, speaks at a gala in honor of the late congressman John Lewis, calling on the nation to protect its truths and push back against the erasure of African American history. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)
May 30, 2025

Channeling the spirit of John Lewis, Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III urged the nation to protect its truths and push back against the erasure of African American history.

Bunch joined Jason Carter, chairman of the Carter Center and grandson of former President Jimmy Carter, for a fireside chat at the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation’s annual Good Trouble Gala, which honors the legacy of the late congressman and his wife, Lillian Miles Lewis.

,evisivid“ ”.naciremA-itna“ — — tahw ot ot eht eht eht gnitegrat yllacificeps ecnis ecnelis gnikees evomer deretnec-ecar cilbup detniop redro eno fo fo fo sevitarran ti deussi ni ”ygoloedi sih eh morf tsrif evitucexe stroffe dereviled demeed euqitirc dellac secnaraeppa dna na s’noitartsinimda a pmurT nainoshtimS tnediserP lanoitaN muesuM nI yrotsiH dlanoD erutluC hcnuB lirpA naciremA nacirfA

Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and Carter Center chair Jason Carter discuss Bunch's career as a historian and the challenges he now faces.(Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

Credit: Zaire Breedlove

Smithsonian Institution Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III and Carter Center chair Jason Carter discuss Bunch's career as a historian and the challenges he now faces.(Zaire Breedlove/AJC)
ExploreThe Legacy of John Lewis

yhW“ ehT“ uoy ohw ohw saw stnaw tnaw tnaw ot ot ot gniht yeht eht eht eht taht taht ,stnavres dias nur cilbup lufrewop fo tsom ”.em ekam ti ti si si si si si noitutitsni ,yrotsih gnidnuof rof erolpxe ”,noitacude od od rotcerid erutluc yb dnoyeb retteb kcatta ,tra dna dna na lla lla tuoba s’nainoshtimS nainoshtimS lanoitaN muesuM yrotsiH .erutluC ,hcnuB naciremA aciremA nacirfA 000,7

A portrait of civil rights icon and former U.S. Congressman John Lewis and his wife, Lillian, adorn a wall at Flourish during the annual Good Trouble Gala, which honors their work. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

Credit: Zaire Breedlove

A portrait of civil rights icon and former U.S. Congressman John Lewis and his wife, Lillian, adorn a wall at Flourish during the annual Good Trouble Gala, which honors their work. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

htiw htiw wodiw hcihw eht eht eht detneserp tsiporhtnalihp elpoep fo laruguani deronoh ,rennid dednetta dna rebuS nO ylraeN seliM yranimuL siweL siweL nhoJ knaH yrraC hcnuB eylliB .drawA drawA ,noraA ,noraA 005

ot ot ot eht taht stneduts loohcs spihsralohcs .sthgir snoitazinagro lacol ecitsuj hgih stnarg tneve ydobme tnemtimmoc egelloc livic dedrawa dna dna ehT ’sesiweL atnaltA

gnuoY“ hcihw gnimocpu margorp weiverp detneserp ecnamrofrep gninepo fo txen ,lacisum sti derutaef yb osla a a .yadsendeW lacirtaehT ehT ,tiftuO ”,siweL nhoJ s’atnaltA

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens enjoys the John Lewis gala. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

Credit: Zaire Breedlove

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens enjoys the John Lewis gala. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)
ExploreHow the John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation maintains a legacy

ohw ffats ,nos stneserper ylno fo won dedulcni sih remrof remrof ;tcirtsid feihc dna ,smailliW srekaepS .neS .peR .ffossO amekiN leahciM royaM ’siweL ’siweL ;siweL noJ seliM-nhoJ ;snekciD ;snilloC atnaltA erdnA

namssergnoC“ dnA“ dluow tahw ew saw saw ot siht eht taht os .dias yap desoppo fo ton ym ,nam dehtaol yradnegel si si ronoh ,mih eh eh evah ,ssendoog doog yllatnemadnuf thguof ”,rethgif eud enod ”.yrtnuoc tub gnieb esuaceb esuaceb dna dna a a ffossO siweL siweL namssergnoC

Sen. Jon Ossoff, who once interned for John Lewis, speaks at the Good Trouble gala. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

Credit: Zaire Breedlove

Sen. Jon Ossoff, who once interned for John Lewis, speaks at the Good Trouble gala. (Zaire Breedlove/AJC)

owt ot eht eht taht metsys dennaps ssecorp trap no fo ylraen muesum evissam ,efil noitalsigel yrotsih sih hsilbatse .sedaced denoipmahc sa na a nainoshtimS lanoitaN ,llaM siweL gniruD naciremA nacirfA

ot eht eht .dessap eh dnuf yllanif derosnopsoc dliub llib dna CHAAMN nI ,3002

eh“ ,leahciM‘ dluow htiw htiw emit dereit-eerht siht eht eht taht taht tis yas dellacer edirp dessap no ecittal sti si esuoh yreve evitcnitsid ”’.tliub gnidliub eznorb maeb noitnetta ta dna dna siweL siweL nhoJ noitutitsnoC snilloC ,eunevA

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. speaks during the opening ceremony of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, 2016. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Credit: Tamar Hallerman

Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. speaks during the opening ceremony of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington, 2016. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

hcihw dlot emit thguoht eht taht tsap denepo fo ,muesum ni eh eh yreve evord .siweL retraC hcnuB ,6102

— htiw tnew gniklaw ot eht eht erahs yldnuoforp lanosrep no no fo .gnivom tnemom seiromem gnidulcni ni mih eh debircsed sa yrasrevinna ssorca tuoba a yadnuS amleS sutteP ,siweL eH dnumdE egdirB ydoolB ht05

ni deid siweL .0202

Detria Austin Everson, president and CEO of the John & Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, hit the red carpet at the Good Trouble Gala with Bennett Pennywell, who made waves during the dinner with his impersonation of a 1960's era John Lewis. (Neil Parekh, The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation)

Credit: Neil Parekh, The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation

Detria Austin Everson, president and CEO of the John & Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation, hit the red carpet at the Good Trouble Gala with Bennett Pennywell, who made waves during the dinner with his impersonation of a 1960's era John Lewis. (Neil Parekh, The John and Lillian Miles Lewis Foundation)

eht“ ”.gnorw tahw siht eht detegrat dias elpoep yltrap fo fo ynam ,redael si ni ytitnedi sih flesmih mih leef ynahpipe gnillac esuaceb sa noitartsinimda a pmurT hcnuB noitartsinimdA

ssengnilliw scipot ot ot eht yhs sthgir nosaer detniop fo ton s’noitutitsni namuh morf rof .msicitirc yawa sa rehtona osla eH

I“ dluow dnatsrednu sloot ot ot ot ot rieht eht eht eht eht shtgnerts ylpmis ”,ytilauxes .dias ,ecar elpoep fo fo ton kool sevil evil tsetaerg redneg dnif egnellahc tub ,kcab eugra dna dna wolla ]si[ nainoshtimS hcnuB

ohw gnidnatsrednu eht eht eht eht yraterces detcelfer laitnediserp ,tnediserp no fo fo ton noitan sti ecnatropmi dloh .yrotsih derif seod noitasrevnoc ,dedulcnoc tonnac yb neewteb eb sa tnemtnioppa dna dna a a nainoshtimS ,noitutitsnI retraC ,hcnuB hcnuB sA

,esiwrehtO“ I“ ”,sraey ,sraey dluow er’ew ew ew ew su nopu ot ot kniht eht eht eht eht taht erus .dias riovreser ezingocer ,ytilibissop fo ton txen ekam ti ti si si si evah sah taerg rof rof rof ,deliaf yrtnuoc egnellahc neeb sa dnuora eugra ”.era dna dna lla a nainoshtimS hcnuB snaciremA 971 971


siht seirots ruo rehto fo rettelswen erom pihsrebmem rebmem ekil ni eerf rof .stifeneb dna a LTAU emoceB

no no dna ,X LTAU koTkiT .margatsnI wolloF ,koobecaF

About the Author

Zaire Breedlove is an intern for AJC's UATL and a journalism major at Kennesaw State University. In the past, he's written and managed The Sentinel, and served as a Reporter for Fresh Take Georgia at the Center for Sustainable Journalism, focusing on Immigration and statewide political coverage.