Long Beach City College Honors Jenni Rivera with New Arts Center

Long Beach City College (LBCC) has officially named its new performing arts center after local icon and alumna, Jenni Rivera. The Board of Trustees unanimously approved this decision last week, recognizing Rivera not only as a talented performer but also as a significant figure in the community. “This naming recognizes not just an extraordinary performer, but a daughter of Long Beach whose voice and spirit transcended borders,” said Uduak-Joe Ntuk, president of the LBCC Board of Trustees, in a press statement.

The newly designated Jenni Rivera Performing Arts Center is expected to open in spring 2026. Jenni Rivera Enterprises has committed to donating $2 million over the next decade to the LBCC Foundation, with a focus on funding scholarships and educational programs, as reported by the Long Beach Post. “Our family is deeply honored that Long Beach City College has chosen to memorialize Jenni in this extraordinary way,” stated Jacqie Rivera, Rivera’s daughter and CEO of Jenni Rivera Enterprises. She emphasized that Long Beach significantly shaped her mother’s identity as an artist, mother, and community advocate.

This is not the first recognition for Rivera by LBCC. Earlier in 2023, she was inducted into the LBCC Hall of Fame, alongside notable figures such as actor and activist Jennifer Kumiyama and attorney Norm Rasmussen. Rivera, who was born and raised in Long Beach, attended Long Beach Poly High School in the 1980s. Despite facing challenges, including becoming a mother as a sophomore, she graduated as valedictorian from Reid Continuation High School and later attended LBCC before transferring to California State University, Long Beach to earn a degree in business administration.

Her career in music began with the release of her first album, “Somos Rivera,” in 1992. Rivera became a self-made star, known as the “Diva de la Banda,” and gained fame in the male-dominated genre of música mexicana. Tragically, her career was cut short when she and six others died in a plane crash in Mexico on December 9, 2012.

In recognition of her lasting influence, Long Beach officials previously honored Rivera by naming a park after her in 2015. The Jenni Rivera Memorial Park features a 125-foot-long mural celebrating her life and heritage. In 2024, Rivera was posthumously awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which her five children accepted on her behalf. During the unveiling ceremony, her daughter Jenicka Lopez recalled how Rivera had always dreamed of having a star in that location. “I thought it was impossible after she passed away, but God has a beautiful way of proving people wrong,” Lopez said.

The establishment of the Jenni Rivera Performing Arts Center marks a significant milestone in honoring the legacy of a beloved figure in both Long Beach and the broader music community. Future generations of artists will now have the opportunity to learn and create in a space that celebrates Rivera’s remarkable contributions.