Dr. Gaila Sims

Assistant Curator of History at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

Originally from Riverside, California, Gaila Sims received her BA in history and African American studies from Oberlin College and her MA and PhD in American studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She has held positions at several cultural institutions, including the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Harry Ransom Center, and the National Museum of American History.

From 2022 to 2025, Sims served as the inaugural curator of African American History at the Fredericksburg Area Museum in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She is now the assistant curator of History at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

Photo credit: Diana Leite