At just 20 years old, Kyler Winston-Kendricks is making her mark as a cultural curator and historian-in-training at one of Atlanta’s most storied institutions. As the Resident Intern Historian and Gallery Manager at the APEX Museum, she stands at the intersection of history, heritage, and hope – channeling her passion for storytelling into a mission to preserve the narratives too often left behind.
Kyler, a student at Georgia State University majoring in Africana Studies, didn’t begin her college journey with history in mind. Initially a general history major, she loved the subject and the research but felt a gravitational pull to learn what was not being taught. Then a professor encouraged her to switch majors.
“She told me I knew more about Black history as a freshman than some of the grad students,” Kyler recalls. That moment of affirmation shifted her academic path – and her purpose. “Africana Studies was a deeper path – one that called me to explore and preserve the stories of our people.”
Her introduction to APEX came during her freshman year when she cold-called the museum in search of an internship. “I came in that same day and started working,” she says. “I pretty much do it all – curating exhibits, running the gift shop, giving tours. My goal is to make sure people learn their history, no matter who they are.” She also credits Dan Moore Jr., the son of APEX Museum founder, as one of her mentors.
Founded in 1978 by filmmaker Dan Moore Sr., the APEX Museum – short for the African-American Panoramic Experience – sits quietly along the historic Auburn Avenue corridor. Its collection stretches from ancient African civilizations and the Middle Passage to Civil Rights icons and Black inventors. It’s a space where history isn’t confined to textbooks but lives in the voices of its docents and the eyes of its visitors.
“APEX covers it all,” Kyler explains. “It doesn’t just stop at slavery. It shows how our history was interrupted – and how we’re reclaiming it. We were kings, queens, scholars, inventors – and we still are.”
As we talked about the Black American experience, she reflected on the transatlantic slave trade as a deeply human story – one that should resonate with everyone, regardless of background.
She is particularly drawn to lesser-known facts, such as the presence of Malian sailors in the Americas before Columbus. “There’s evidence of African explorers arriving in 1311. Columbus even wrote about seeing people with dark skin and woolly hair. We were here already,” she says.
Raised in a family that took road trips through the South and visited museums often, Kyler was exposed to historical storytelling early on. She wants students to grow up learning the full breadth of Black history. “In school, I never learned anything like what we cover at the museum. I had to find it on my own. The untold stories are more interesting than what the books give us.”
That sense of connection motivates her work. She emphasized again that if Black communities don’t take the lead in documenting and sharing their own narratives, those stories risk being forgotten or removed from the annals of time.
She values that the APEX Museum operates outside the constraints of conventional frameworks and dominant narratives, allowing it to present history in a more authentic and unfiltered way. The museum offers a rare freedom to tell stories from a perspective often overlooked – one that challenges, deepens, and reclaims the historical record.
Despite recent political efforts to silence or erase Black history through anti-DEI legislation, Kyler has witnessed an uptick in visitors to the museum – maybe even more than ever before.
She doesn’t take for granted that there are others – across backgrounds and generations–who want to learn Black diasporan history. For her, it is deeply meaningful to witness how much people care – especially when visitors are emotionally impacted by what they learn. Seeing their desire for truth affirms the importance of her work.
She recalls a moment when a woman broke down crying during one of her tours at the slave ship exhibit. “I don’t even remember exactly what I said – it’s second nature now – but something touched her soul,” Kyler says. “That’s when I knew this work mattered.”
Beyond the museum walls, Kyler is passionate about encouraging others–especially young people – to engage in historical preservation. She dabbles in genealogy, and her family has tagged her as their historian. She emphasizes the importance of simply being present with elders and listening. “If young people could just sit with their grandparents, even for two minutes–ask them questions, record them – it would make a difference. That’s how you preserve history.”
Kyler recently gave a class presentation exploring how history repeats itself, focusing on voter suppression during the Civil Rights era and its modern-day parallels. Drawing on figures like W.E.B. Du Bois, she emphasized that preserving and understanding history is critical to breaking harmful cycles. Without that awareness, she warned, “we’ll keep going in circles.”
She continues: “If we can take accountability for some of the missteps of the past, then we can grow from that.”
Looking ahead, Kyler has big dreams. “I want to teach people all over the world. Spain, Australia – wherever I’m needed,” she says. “I love what I do. APEX has opened so many doors for me. One day, I want to open my own museum.”
Her message is clear: history is not just about the past – it’s a tool for shaping the future.
She exhorts today’s generation once more: “Interview your elders, record their stories – even a quick TikTok can be powerful. Archive it in your files or the cloud.” Kyler reinforces that it doesn’t take much – just intention.
“Pretty much just make sure you learn your history,” she says.
She invites everyone to visit the APEX Museum – where she’s present year-round – because the journey of learning our history never truly ends.
Learn more about the APEX Museum by visiting www.apexmuseum.org or follow them on Instagram @theapexmuseum.