He is widely credited with fostering African-American and Latin-American art communities in Los Angeles for more than 50 years, and was named a "Living Cultural Treasure" by the city in 1999.

[4] Fergerson was born outside the small town of Boley, Oklahoma, in 1931; his parents moving with him to Los Angeles in 1938.

[6] Fergerson and Booker's work through the BAC began to produce results, namely in the form of two LACMA exhibitions: Three Graphic Artists: Charles White, David Hammons, and Timothy Washington in 1971, and Panorama in 1972, featuring Noah Purifoy, John Outterbridge, and Betye Saar.

[6] After retiring from LACMA in 1985, Fergerson curated exhibits of African-American and Latin-American art across Los Angeles, often in community settings such as schools, churches, malls, gyms, and even prisons.

[1][7] In 1989, artist Richard Wyatt created a tribute mural, "Cecil," that is on display at the Watts Towers in Los Angeles.