The idea of a national African American museum went back 100 years before its opening

The National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. (Alan Karchmer/Smithsonian Insitution)

The PBS program Antiques Roadshow sparked something in Dr. Lonnie Bunch III.

The reality television show depicts dealers touring the country to give free appraisals of the objects people bring to them. They could be family heirlooms or thrift store finds, and the appraisers often give historical context to the items.