2018 CBJ Birthday Celebration

Dear Friends and Associates: 

On Sunday, November 4, 2018 the “alumni” of the “O.G.,” i.e. the Original Genesis of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), the Inner City Cultural Center (ICCC), present “The Cultural Legacy Project” to celebrate the birthday of the late C Bernard Jackson, co-founder, artistic and executive director of ICCC. 

If you do not know Jack about Jack, i.e. C. Bernard Jackson, you should know the Inner City Cultural Center, conceived in 1965, was the first minority owned and operated multi-cultural, multi-racial, multi-ethnic performing and visual arts institution in the nation, offering technical, artistic and administrative training to prepare “minorities” to enter the stage, screen and television industries. Inner City was also an advocate of color-blind and non-traditional casting, which was rather provocative for its time, stating that any artists can perform in any role. 

A partial list of a very diverse group of people including: Moko, Arthur Mitchell, Gregory Peck, Denzel Washington, George Takei, Donald McKayle, Ernie Hudson, Soon Tek Oh, Forest Whitaker, Carmen Zapata, Beah Richards, Robert Wise, George C. Wolfe, Glynn Turman, Luis Valdez, Janet Jackson, Kim Fields, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Louis Gossett, Jr., Luis Alfaro, August Wilson, Mario Thomas, Robi Reed, Sob Shimono, Regina King, Sidney Poitier, Milton Berle, Roscoe Lee Browne, Paul Winfield, Rose Portillo, Bernadette Stanis, Esther Rolle, Terry Carter, Wendi Raquel Robinson, Wren Brown, Lula Washington, Lynn Whitfield, Malcolm famed-Warner, Margo & Eddie Albert, Marla Gibbs, Mel Carter, Robert Guilliaume, Micki Grant, Vinnette Carroll, Aretha Franklin and numerous others, including many of you reading this message, assisted Jack in building a Center. This is quite a legacy. The Cultural Legacy Project is the Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center C. Bernard Jackson Memorial Library (LAICC CBJML) to honor Mr. Jackson and the organization he co-founded with Dr. J. Alfred Cannon. 

So, if you ever wondered where you will go to work, preserve your art, or leave your art, the Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center C. Bernard Jackson Memorial Library will be “A place where you can check art out, or, you can check art in.”TM Your legacy building begins now. You are stakeholders and storytellers helping to build an institution in which to house your legacy and that of your progeny. So, join the celebration, get an update, and give your input for this Cultural Legacy Project. We will see you there! 

Ernest D Dillihay Cultural Legacy Project, Chair