Statement from Secretary Lonnie Bunch on the 2020 Election

Today marks arguably our most sacred duty as citizens, the civic ritual that comes around every four years when we choose a president. This direct expression of our democratic form of government is a responsibility shouldered by all of us. Without the vote, there is no voice.

Too many of us take that right for granted and remain silent. According to recent election data, when going to the polls to choose the leaders of their respective countries, U.S. citizens’ turnout only ranked 26th out of 32 developed nations. That level of engagement is insufficient if we want elected officials who are responsive to the will of the people.

Our democracy has never been guaranteed. The right to vote has only been secured by vigilance, struggle, and a determination to make the country live up to its stated ideals. Much of the work to make the nation a democracy in practice rather than in theory was done by those to whom the right to vote was not extended: African Americans, Native peoples, and women.

Many Americans have forgotten about those who struggled for suffrage: people who were turned away from the polls; who were forced to submit to demeaning literacy tests or hit with poll taxes they could not afford; who were threatened with violence or even killed for having the audacity to demand their rights as citizens. As a cultural and historical institution, the Smithsonian reminds people about those who stood up to make our democracy a more inclusive proposition.

Beyond delving into the history of the fight for voting rights, it is also incumbent upon us to lead discussions about our civic responsibilities. I believe strongly that museums and other cultural institutions should work to make their communities and the nation better, starting by protecting our most fundamental right as Americans.

Civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis called the vote “the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union.” As someone who shed his blood and almost gave his life so that African Americans could vote, he spoke from authority. If you haven’t yet, I urge you to go out today and use your voice. It is the best way to exercise your freedom and honor all those like Congressman Lewis who did their part to create a more just nation, one in which we all have a say.

Sincerely,
Lonnie G. Bunch
Secretary

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