ICW Joins Los Angeles History Collaborative

January 2025

ICW met with cultural leaders from across Los Angeles to consider ways to work together in the face of January’s fires. Out of this and other gatherings, the Los Angeles History Collaborative was born with the first goal to be cooperative work on responses to the fires.

The work of the Collaborative stems from a deep desire to be of service to the rich tapestry of communities and cultures in Southern California. Per the Collaborative’s joint statement, “The LAHC will provide historical and archival guidance and tools to individuals and communities aiming to preserve their cultural legacy as part of the rich historical fabric of the greater Los Angeles area. The strength of the Collaborative lies in its ability to mold a rich array of resources and talents into a sustainable network that is animated by a deep spirit of cooperation. With the intent to amplify the rich and diverse collective memory of the city, the work of the LA History Collaborative focuses on these areas:

PRESERVATION: Providing assistance and culturally sensitive advice about how to preserve precious historical materials through archiving and oral history practices.

TOOLS and TRAININGS: Offering training and technical resources to empower individuals and communities to capture their stories.

DISSEMINATION: Conveying the rich historical legacies of Angelenos and offering historical perspective on pressing issues through various media including podcasts, videos, brief write-ups, social media posts, as well as community engagement initiatives including K-12 outreach and collaborative history-making.

PUBLIC EVENTS: Hosting public events on issues of historical and contemporary relevance by drawing on the extensive reach of the LAHC network.

COLLABORATION: Strengthening our relationships with established affinity organizations to maximize potential collective endeavors and limit duplication of effort.”

ICW is honored to be a part of this effort.