Story by: Russell Payne
Last week (June 17), an elite group of Black artists were forever enshrined in Atlanta’s new Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. In the middle of Black Music Month, the new monument, outside of Mercedes Benz Stadium, will induct new members to its ranks at least once per year in perpetuity.
The first 12 iconic artists to be inducted were James Brown, Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Shirley Caesar, Missy Elliott, OutKast, Beyonce, Sean Combs, Kirk Franklin, and Usher. Peers and family members of the inductees were in attendance for the ceremony alongside some of Atlanta’s biggest players.
The round sidewalk markers will reference the honorees as “king” or “queen” and will line the walkways near the intersection of Northside and Martin Luther King Jr. drives. The new attraction is aimed at putting a spotlight on the contributions of Black artists, and acts as a sort of counterbalance to the Hollywood attraction.
The project was the original idea of two Black women, Erica Thomas, the Georgia House Rep for District 39, and Catherine Brewton of BMI. While superficially similar to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this monument specifically celebrates Black musicians both contemporary and from decades past.
Thomas and Brown also founded the Georgia Entertainment Caucus in 2019. The GEC is an Atlanta based organization that focuses on bridging the gap between Georgia's political sector and the entertainment industry.
“It is now time that we stop only involving the entertainment industry when it’s time for an endorsement on a campaign,” Thomas told the Atlanta Voice. “It is time that Georgia recognizes the power and influence of thousands of singers, songwriters, producers, production teams, and every hard working Georgian, that has put Georgia on the map as one of the top places to do business in the entertainment industry.”