Lonnie G. Bunch III was named the Smithsonian's 14th Secretary this summer. He is the first historian to hold this position. A celebrated and award-winning museum director, Bunch guided the concept and completion of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. The museum opened its doors three years ago and has become one of the most popular and important cultural destinations in Washington, D.C.

Bunch's career started at the Smithsonian in 1978 at the National Air and Space Museum. He also held a number of curatorial positions at the National Museum of American History.

Bunch talked with us recently about leading the Smithsonian, visiting the institution for the first time and opening the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

I was a young boy when I first visited the Smithsonian in the 1960s. My family was driving through Virginia and I asked my father to stop. He pulled into Washington, D.C., in front of the Smithsonian, and said here is a place that you can go where you won't be turned away because of the color of your skin. And for me, the Smithsonian became a place of fairness, a place that had the kind of information that would stimulate a young mind and help a young man figure out who he was.

I remember waking up on Sept. 24, 2016, terrified – terrified because I had put my fingerprints on so much in the museum. What if I was wrong? But the day really was, I think, a day where America was at its best. When I saw the Chief Justice of the United States, former President Bush and President Obama, this is the America I believed in – an America that is diverse, an America that wants to live up to its stated ideals.

I love the institution so much. I want to help it redefine itself in the 21st century, building on its wonderful traditions and pushing it in new directions to be even better.

People come to the Smithsonian to understand themselves and the world. There is no greater contribution than that. My hope is to reach new audiences in ways that allow us to shape education and be a forum for ideas.

I want people to see the Smithsonian as a valuable tool that helps them live their lives. I want them to see the creativity of our scientists and their amazing discoveries and understand those moments that challenge us. Education transformed my grandfather's life, my father's life, my life and my children's lives. I want to give as many people those opportunities as we possibly can.

The Smithsonian is a private-public partnership. Support from the federal government is our foundation. However, we couldn't do the kind of innovative research, build the collections that will help us understand who we are, and create the amazing cultural expression in our art museums without the support of the private sector.

We have the precious legacy of a precious institution in our hands. We can make it our own, make it stronger and make it better.