Kirk Johnson: Well, good morning, and welcome to the National
Museum of Natural History.
My name is Kirk Johnson.
I'm the Sant Director of the National Museum.
I've been here for 10 and a half months, and been very much enjoying wallowing in this
smorgasbord of science and culture that this is -- that this museum and represent the Smithsonian.
And we're here today to host a symposium on the African Diaspora, Integrating Culture,
Genomics, and History.
And you might casually wonder, "Why here?"
But I would make the argument that this is a really great place for this symposium.
We've got three exhibits presently that are very directly related to the topic.
Of course, our permanent exhibit, African Voices, which talks about the culture of Africa,
involving very actively the voice of Africa.
And we opened a new exhibit, a small exhibit within that one called "The Mud Masons of
Mali," about those phenomenal mud structures that are re-mudded every year, and involving
the actual voices of the masons themselves, the people that do the re-mudding of the -- those
amazing architectural structures.
We have the Human Origins exhibit, which speaks very directly to the origin of humanity in
Africa, and the origin of the human species and the original African diaspora of all humanity.
And of course, we have this exhibit, Genome: Unlocking Life's Code, a new temporary exhibit
that we built in direct collaboration and partnership with the National Institutes of
Health's National Human Genome Research Institute.
Amazing exhibit.
It's been seen, we think, by over a million people since it opened just a few months ago.
And it's a very compelling exhibit.
I warn you, if you go in there, it's hard to get out of there.
It's a very sticky exhibit, as we say in the museum business.
So all those things make the case for having the symposium here, and I'm here to welcome
you to that symposium.
We've got a fabulous series of panels with great speakers.
We'll have a number of our own staff here and close friends.
We'll have with us Lonnie Bunch, who is the director of the National Museum of African-American
History and Culture, and also Dr. Johnnetta Cole, who is the director of the National
Museum of African-American Art.
We also have scholars from around the country, and I'm looking forward to hearing from all
of them.
And I will now pass the podium to Eric Green, who is the director of the National Human
Genome Research Institute.
Thank you very much for coming and enjoy the day.
[applause]
Eric Green: Well, thank you, Kirk.
I'm Eric Green, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute.
And I, on behalf of NHGRI and the National Institutes of Health, wanted to welcome the
speakers and all the attendees who will be joining us today.
We are here at the Smithsonian.
I thought I would just say a couple words about the National Institutes of Health, headquarters
of which is located in Bethesda, Maryland, just about 10 miles from here.
Our institute, the National Human Genome Research Institute, is one of 27 institutes and centers
that comprise the National Institutes of Health.
And in many ways, the NIH, as it's referred to, is sort of the center of the universe,
worldwide, for health research, with each of the institutes having a discrete focus
on particular areas relevant to human health and disease.
The institute that I'm fortunate to direct is one focused on genomics.
And it was originally created for the Human Genome Project, to lead the U.S.'s effort
in the Human Genome Project.
And then when the Genome Project ended in 2003, it is now carrying out a number of important
studies, really all revolving around our central mission, which is to understand the structure
and the function of the human genome and its role in health and disease.
And so to that end, as you might imagine, our institute is very much involved in developing
resources and technologies that allow us to accelerate genomic research, and also see
its application to improving the nation's health.
But coming hand and hand with that, which really started at the origins of the Human
Genome Project, our institute is also committed to studying the ethical, the legal, and the
social implications of doing genomics research, and also being very cognizant and very involved
in thinking about how to educate the public when it comes to genomics.
And that is the reason why, a little over two years ago, we developed this partnership
with the National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian, to develop this amazing
exhibition, which I hope you will all see if you haven't already, "Genome: Unlocking
Life's Code," and also have the subsequent meetings and symposium built around it while
it is resident here in this building for the next -- roughly another 11 months or so.
In all, about 16 public education programs over the course of the next year will be held,
and this is one of them.
Now, you may ask the question, why is NHGRI interested in this conversation and this topic
for this symposium?
What I can tell you is that ancestry and genomics are of great importance and of great interest
to the public.
And it's really the entrance to genomics for many of the people who are exploring this.
And obviously, the information is complicated and the science is actually complicated.
But as a result, we're very interested, since that's their entry point to genomics, in facilitating
their understanding, was one of the many reasons for the kinds of exhibition that was developed
over the last couple of years.
And so I can tell you, in 1990, when we created our ethical, legal, and social implications
program, it really became an integral part of the genomics community and of our institute
at that time of the Human Genome Project.
And it really provided an opportunity for us to perform research into the ethical, legal,
and social components of genetic and genomic research as they relate to individuals, families,
and communities.
And I can also tell you that the importance of this area, in our eyes, has only grown
with time, and it was about 11 months ago that I reorganized the institute and created
a new division called the Division of Genomics and Society, which is one of the seven divisions
that make up our institute.
And that is the division that really focuses on thinking about these societal issues as
they relate to genomics research.
And we're learning increasingly the important role that genomics knowledge is playing in
understanding ancestral variation in health and disease.
And so our role in this event today is, as much as anything, to bring genomics to the
discussion, which we think is very relevant to this.
And we wish you a very productive and scholarly discussion and presentations today as we think
about culture, and genomics, and history as we explore the African diaspora and thinking
about ancestry of African-Americans.
So thank you very much for your attention and for joining us here today, and I want
to now pass the baton to Lonnie Bunch, who is the director of the National Museum of
African-American History and Culture.
[applause]
Lonnie Bunch: Good morning.
Multiple Speakers:Good morning.
Lonnie Bunch: Now, you all were raised better than that.
Good morning.
Multiple Speakers: Good morning.
Lonnie Bunch: That's much better.
As the founding director of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, the
Smithsonian's newest museum, a museum's whose goal is pretty simple: It's to centralize
African-American culture so that all of us recognize how we are profoundly shaped, informed,
and made better by that culture.
I have to tell you, I am very pleased to be here with my colleagues to welcome you to
this wonderful symposium.
I want to stop for a minute and recognize Mary Jo Arnoldi, who is the chair of the Department
of Anthropology here in the Museum of Natural History, who for, in essence, and for all
intents and purposes, is our host, so, Mary Jo, thank you so much for this.
[applause]
As a historian, it is quite clear to me that the collision of science and race in America
has not often been to the advantage of people of color.
In fact, it has often been used to reinforce the worst attitudes and worst assumptions
that have had a detrimental effect on the health, hopes, and rights of African-Americans.
What excites me about today's symposium is that it will help us understand both the possibilities
and the limits of this important new science.
It will help us raise and wrestle with fundamental questions of identity, ancestry, and race.
In some ways, this is the wonderful kind of collaboration that is the Smithsonian at its
best: to work with brother and sister institutions, to work with leading institutions outside
of the Smithsonian.
So we're pleased to be able to come together and share this exciting day with you.
So on behalf of all my colleagues at the National Museum of African-American History and Culture,
I thank all of you for your participation, I trust you will have a stimulating and enjoying
-- and joyful day.
Thank you so much.
And now it's my turn to turn this over to Vence Bonham.
Vence?
[applause]
Vence Bonham: So good morning, everyone.
Multiple Speakers:Good morning.
Vence Bonham: I am excited that this day has arrived and
the conversation that we're going to have today.
Again, my name is Vence Bonham.
I'm at the National Human Genome Research Institute.
I'm both a researcher and the lead of our Education and Community Involvement branch.
And I'm pleased, on behalf of the Genome Institute, to again welcome you here this morning.
So this conversation that we're going to have today at the symposium really comes from different
perspectives and lenses.
One of the exciting things that we hope about the day is bringing different disciplinary
backgrounds and perspectives and expertise to a conversation of thinking about the African
diaspora, and particularly African-Americans, from different lenses: a genomic lens, a cultural
lens, an artistic lens, and a historical lens; to explore issues with regard to how we understand
identity, race, difference, and how we think about who we are and where we fit within this
culture and society that we're in here in the United States.
So there's a couple things about the day.
As you look at the agenda, you can see it's packed full.
But one of the things that we have impressed on all of the speakers and the moderators
is that we want to make sure that we leave time for questions and a conversation with
the audience.
So all of the talks are going to be very brief, and there will be conversations between the
panelists and raising issues, but also an opportunity for you to come to the mic and
to ask questions, and to provide your perspective on various topics.
So I was also asked to take care of the housekeeping issues for us this morning.
And I want to just start with the bathrooms.
So the bathrooms are located near the Constitution Avenue entrance.
And so as you came in on Constitution Avenue, that is where the bathrooms are located as
you need them throughout the day.
We do have wireless services within this auditorium, and the wireless code is Diasp0ra, with a
capital D and instead of an "O" with a zero.
So you can get online within the room.
What we don't want in the room is food.
So, please, do not bring beverages or any refreshments into the room throughout the
day.
Let's respect this beautiful building that's over 100 years old, and this beautiful auditorium.
Coffee: the coffee bar will open at 10:00 a.m.
That's an important issue, I know for a lot of us, to get our caffeine.
And so when you go out after one of the morning sessions or at a break, coffee will be available.
We encourage you to visit, again, I'm going to follow up on both Dr. Johnson and Dr. Green,
encourage you to visit the exhibitions here in the building today, particularly the African
Voices and Genome: Unlocking Life's Code.
We want you to engage with those exhibitions as part of this conversation and why we are
doing this program here in this facility.
So we hope at lunch hour that you will be able to go and to visit the exhibitions if
you have not to date.
And the final housekeeping note is, I just want to remind you that we are videotaping
the day, and we ask that if you have a question, that you go to the microphone.
The acoustics in this room is beautiful, but no one on the video will hear you if you just
stand up or yell out.
So please, please go to the microphone.
So, as stated, this symposium is partnership between the Smithsonian Institution and the
two museums and the National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research Institute.
And it's one of those unique partnerships that I think is only just the beginning of
how we explore and engage together to explore various topics and communicate to the public.
And I want to take a minute and acknowledge the planning committee and thank them.
Their names are in your program, but again, I would like to recognize Mary Jo Arnoldi,
Deirdre Cross, Christina Dalton [spelled phonetically], Esther Washington, and our two external planning
committee members, meaning they're not a part of the federal government, Charmaine Royal
at Duke University, and Joanna Mountain at 23andMe, so, again, thank you to them, our
planning committee.
[applause]
And our meeting planners for this meeting are Strategic Results.
They are at the registration desk.
If you need any help or any questions, go to them, and they should be able to help get
you the answers that you need.
So, without further delay, at this time I would like to introduce Mr. Corey Dade, a
correspondent for "The Root," Dr. Sarah Tishkoff at the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr.
Linda Heywood, from Boston University, and finally, Dr. Michael Blakey at the College
of William & Mary, as they set the stage for the symposium today.
Thank you.
[applause]