NEWS: Career histories of five Inner City
alumni documented in initial collaboration with
Performing Arts Legacy Project - More Info
EVENTS: Fall Celebration of LAICCC’s legacy,
world premiere of “Intimate Stories” readings
on Nov. 4 draw an overflow crowd - More Info
Los Angeles Inner City Cultural Center was the nation’s first and most influential minority owned and operated multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial and multi-disciplinary visual and performing arts institution, arising “out of the ashes” of the 1965 Watts Rebellion.
Its founders, UCLA dance department pianist and composer C. Bernard Jackson and UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute faculty and staff member Dr. J. Alfred Cannon, envisioned that LAICCC would employ the performing and visual arts in healing the scars of the rebellion, improving mental health and increasing cross-cultural communications among Los Angeles’ many diverse ethnic communities who shared similar issues of discrimination on social, justice, cultural, educational and economic issues.
LAICCC’s core philosophy of non-traditional and colorblind casting on both the creative and technical fronts has enabled thousands of previously excluded minorities to pursue careers in the entertainment business. LAICCC alumni encompass an unparalleled “who’s who” of actors, writers, producers, directors, choreographers, videographers, dancers, musicians and technical personnel whose influence continues to the present day.
While the terms "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" are top-of-mind in today's social climate, they have been core principles at Inner City Cultural Center from the beginning and will remain so into the future. We invite you to explore this website to get a more complete picture of our unparalleled cultural legacy and learn how you can support us as we build for the future.