Founding Director Lonnie Bunchs deeply personal tale of the triumphs and challenges of bringing the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture to life His story is by turns inspiring funny frustrating quixotic bittersweet and above all a compelling readIn its first four months of operation the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture surpassed one million visits and quickly became a cherished vital monument to the African American experience And yet this accomplishment was never assured In A Fools Errand founding director Lonnie Bunch tells his story of bringing his clear vision and leadership to realize this shared dream of many generations of Americans Outlining the challenges of site choice architect selection building design and the compilation of an unparalleled collection of African American artifacts Bunch also delves into his personal strugglesespecially the stress of a highprofile undertakingand the triumph of establishing