Smithsonian secretary to speak during special series at International African American Museum

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Visitors of the International African American Museum (IAAM) will experience an evening filled with education, information, and entertainment at the museum celebrates a year since opening its doors to the public.

Guests are invited to attend a new dynamic speaker series, “Salon Marronage,” which promises to ignite community conversations and inspire change.

The series – launching Thursday night – will feature prominent and provocative artists, thought-leaders, and changemakers in conversations with the museum’s president and CEO, Dr. Tonya Matthews.

Lonnie G. Bunch III, the 14th Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, will be guest speaker for the inaugural event. The two will explore how museums like the IAAM play a key role in preserving and narrating authentic stories and how they can better represent diverse cultures, voices, and perspectives.

Secretary Bunch became the Smithsonian’s first African American secretary on June 16th, 2019, and is the first historian to serve in this position, according to the museum. He oversees 21 museums, 21 libraries, the National Zoo, numerous research centers, and several education units and centers.

Leaders say he is also developing two new museums—the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum.

Tickets for the event cost $18 for members, $25 for general admission, and $10 for youth ages 6-16. Seating is limited. Click here for more.

News 2’s Carolyn Murray will emcee the event.

Thursday’s event begins at 6 p.m. and will be live-streamed at counton2.com.