The alumni of the Inner City Cultural Center (ICCC) 50th Anniversary Planning Committee presents to renowned actor George Takei, noted for his work as an original cast member in the role of SULU in Gene Roddenberry's STAR TREK television show, and who appeared in multiple films in the STAR TREK film franchise ) the "Inner City Essence Award" at the second annual anniversary celebration honoring the legacy of ICCC's founder, C. Bernard Jackson (CBJ).
Entitled "OUT OF THE ASHES: FROM MULTI-CULTURALISM TO DIVERSITY 1966-2016", the second of these three-year anniversary programs will have two days of activities, today, November 4, and tomorrow, November 5, 2016, at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, located at 4716 West Washington Blvd., Mid-City Los Angeles 90016.
Friday, November 4, 2016, the Black-tie Gala evening awards show presentation will kick-off the first of a two-day celebration of C. Bernard Jackson (also known as Jack) and the legacy of the "house that Jack built", the Inner City Cultural Center.
George Takei of "Star Trek" fame will receive the Inner City Essence Award. Additionally, the Elaine Gayle-Kashiki-
Josie Dotson (KD) Award will be presented to the late architect Robert Kennard, an original board member of the Cultural Center. Last year, Cecilia Peck accepted the Kashi-Dotson Award on behalf of her father, the late
Gregory Peck, a strong supporter of the Center from its inception in 1965.
Saturday, November 5, 2016, will consist of educational panel discussions from 11:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Featured among the panel discussions will be the 2015 Hollywood Diversity Report and panels on theater-related issues, and a library as a cultural legacy. The library panel is exploring the concept of establishing a library in honor of
MR. Jackson and archiving his collected works and those of Inner City alumni and Los Angeles based community artists.
The evening presentation entitled, "The Inner City Ditty Show" inspired by
MR. Jackson's work, will feature the type of talent for whom
Jack Jackson provided a platform to support the development of their careers. Several surprise guests are slated to appear.
The primary mission of the Inner City Cultural Center was to utilize the arts as the vehicle to increase cultural communications among ethnic and racial groups. Inner City Cultural Center, in effect, began what became known locally and nationally as the "multi-cultural" arts movement. ICCC was also a pioneer in theater, film and television being the first to promote a color-blind and non-traditional casting philosophy allowing any minority actor to play any role, advocating for equal access to casting, providing a gateway and a platform for many to achieve their dreams to fully participate with temerity the theater, film, and entertainment industry. At the same time ICCC provided training for minorities who wanted to gain an entry level position in the technical and administrative areas in the same industries, who in 1966 offered very limited access. Today's term for "multi-culturalism" is coined "diversity". Therefore, we declare the original genesis of diversity, or the "O.G. of Diversity" was the Inner City Cultural Center.
ICCC provided a platform for many residents and those who came to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams and aspirations. A partial list of Inner City Cultural alumni, supporters and contributors included such luminaries as:
Gregory Peck, Mako,
Luis Valdez,
Alvin Ailey,
Beah Richards,
Robert Wise,
Paul Winfield, Twyla Thorpe,
Denzel Washington,
Carmen Zapata,
Marla Gibbs,
Louis Gossett, Jr.,
George Takei,
Glynn Turman,
Bonnie Bedelia,
Ted Lange, Ruth Warshawsky, Eddie and
Margo Albert and
Janet Jackson, among many others, who were instrumental in supporting and advancing the mission of the Inner City Cultural Center.
Inner City Cultural Center, true to its philosophy, was therefore the original genesis of the multi-cultural arts movement from which all other efforts at populating various entertainment organizations with a diverse group of people representative of America sprang. In effect, Inner City Cultural Center was the "O.G. of Diversity" and a leader in that regard even as the issue of diversity appears to be an ever present fact of life. Thus, the theme of our anniversary celebrations, "From Multi-Culturalism to Diversity"
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