AFS President Jason Baird Jackson Sends Letter of Appreciation to Outgoing Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch

AFS President Jason Baird Jackson sent a letter to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch on behalf of the many AFS members who had expressed their admiration for Bunch’s leadership and dismay at his resignation from the Smithsonian. Jackson wrote, “Throughout our 138-year history, many AFS members have worked closely with various Smithsonian museums, centers, and programs. While the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is currently a particularly important hub within our professional networks and a key institution in our field, folklorists in the United States and around the world have partnered with and learned alongside professionals working across the Smithsonian throughout our history.”

He continues, “Please know that you have our admiration, gratitude, and respect,” further noting, “you deserve the opportunity to rest, reflect, and take pride in what you have accomplished. I hope you do so knowing that your scholarly peers and the broader  community of cultural workers, both within and beyond the Smithsonian’s fields of inquiry and service, deeply appreciate your contributions. Your leadership has helped expand access to knowledge, strengthen cultural understanding, and advance human flourishing in ways that will endure for generations.”

Read the full letter on the members-only AFS Community Hub by logging into your membership account, scrolling down the left-hand menu and clicking on “Community Hub” (see the screenshot below). The letter is under the “Announcements” menu on the left side of the landing page of the Hub.