The Storyteller

LOUISE BERNARD HAS SUCH A NUANCED WORLDVIEW AND VISION, IT’S NOT SURPRISING THAT THE OBAMAS HAVE PLACED THEIR LEGACY IN HER CAPABLE HANDS

- Christina Coleman

Louise Bernard is no stranger to delving into the intricacies of Black life to craft a compelling narrative. She’s been called a luminary in the African-American museum world by The Chicago Tribune, and has imbued spaces with subtle yet captivating touches to offer some of the most comprehensive accounts of our history from pre–Middle Passage to post–Obama presidency. She masterfully pieces together the different experiences to form a complete, thoroughly satisfying picture.

Bernard has continued this practice throughout her career. She was a member of the group that helped map out the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. Afterward she became a content developer and adviser to the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina. And right before she got the call to bring former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama’s story to life in Chicago, Bernard was slaying it in her dream job as the director of exhibitions at the New York Public Library.