Inspiration behind Jim Alexander’s SOS: Signs of
Struggle Exhibition by, Kyler Winston-Kendricks,

Resident Historian, APEX Museum

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SOS: Signs of Struggle was curated as both a reflective piece and a call to action. Spanning
more than 60 years, the exhibition documents nonviolent protests for human rights and social
justice in the aftermath of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. This showcase captures
civil rights marches, anti-war demonstrations, The Women’s Rights Movement, and other
contemporary protests such as Black Lives Matter. Together, these images form a broad
exploration of the processes, challenges, and transformative power of nonviolent social action
as taught and practiced by Dr. King.
I chose this exhibition in response to the current social and political climate, particularly the
growing engagement of young people who are demanding meaningful change and refusing to
allow history to repeat itself. Recent election data (particularly the strong participation of
18–34-year-olds) around leaders like Zohran Kwame Mamdani signals a generation that is
paying attention, organizing, and seeking accountability in ways that echo past movements.
By partnering with photographer Jim Alexander, I wanted young audiences to encounter
undeniable visual evidence of protests in America across generations. These photographs offer
a realistic and unfiltered perspective on what collective struggle looks like, underscoring the
urgency of preserving our history and learning from it. SOS: Signs of Struggle is meant to
inspire the next generation so that they may understand the seriousness of these moments, to
recognize their power within a long continuum of resistance, and to ensure we never allow
conditions to deteriorate to that point again.