In the latest episode of The Stakes, host Brad Rourke talks to Kettering Foundation Senior Fellow Dr. Johnnetta Betsch Cole, an iconic arts and education leader. As autocratic pressure mounts against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in public institutions—including museums—Cole highlights three exemplary figures showing moral clarity and courage:

• Lonnie G. Bunch III, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, remains firm in defense of inclusive exhibitions. Amid executive orders attacking so-called “woke history,” Bunch publicly affirmed the Smithsonian’s commitment to truth, scholarship, and the full American story. 

• Christine Anagnos, executive director of the Association of Art Museum Directors, provides museum leaders with the tools and information they need to respond to growing threats. 

• Laura Lott, former administrator of the National Gallery of Art, resigned after the NGA dismantled its belonging and inclusion program under federal pressure. Lott chose integrity over position, voicing her ongoing commitment to values-driven leadership. 

Cole reminds us: “Courage is the most important virtue,” quoting her late colleague Maya Angelou. These leaders are showing how courage is practiced—in resignation letters, internal emails, and quiet acts of resistance that safeguard the soul of democracy.