When we tried to learn more about the Smithsonian’s new National Museum of African American History and Culture, we couldn’t find much information about it. Sure, there’s plenty of media and other mentions on the web and a bare-bones website, but the Smithsonian isn’t sure quite where it will go, let alone precisely what exhibits will be on display.

That’s because the museum has only existed on paper for two years, and the Smithsonian selected Lonnie Bunch, a former Smithsonian curator and head of the Chicago Historical Society, to be director of the museum last March. For perspective, the Post tells us the National Museum of the American Indian took 15 years to go from being signed into law to their grand opening in 2004. The graphic on the left shows the four preliminary possible sites selected by the Smithsonian. A more detailed graphic can be found in the summary of the site selection document. (PDF)

We don’t envy Bunch who, like the Museum of the American Indian’s W. Richard West Jr., will have to negotiate tricky waters and attempt to craft a strong, cohesive vision for the museum that satisfies both professional historians and the general public. Bunch told the Post last March, “It is a challenge to make sure that this is a museum that allows people to revel in African American culture, but it is also a museum that says what it means to be an American.” Want to learn more about what Bunch has in mind for the museum? Tonight at 7 p.m. the National Archives is sponsoring a “conversation” between Bunch and Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein about the new museum. See their website for more information or to RSVP.