Cicely Tyson, a trailblazing actress, and Ray Charles, a music superstar, both played pivotal roles in creating their respective professions, and both will be honored posthumously for their contributions to the arts. Tyson and Charles will be honored in the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022, according to WSBTV.
The BMEWOF was founded in 2021 by the Black American Music Association and the Georgia Entertainment Caucus to honor and highlight the legacies of Black individuals and organizations who have harnessed the power of the arts to uplift and empower their communities. Located along the sidewalks of Northside Dr. and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Atlanta’s Vine City area. Dr.—the BMEWOF is a tribute to Black innovators who have broken through barriers and motivating others to do the same.
Tyson, Charles, Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Prince, Ms. Lauryn Hill, TLC, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, and Lionel Richie will be among the 2022 inductees, as will other Black musicians and music moguls whose work spans generations. Tyler Perry, a visionary in the entertainment industry, will also be inducted.
“We came to the conclusion to make sure that we were preserving history on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive by putting it in front of the Mercedes Benz Stadium,” GEC co-founder Erica Thomas told The Atlanta Voice. “Georgia and Atlanta are the Black Mecca. We couldn’t go anywhere else to start this Walk of Fame off. When they called Atlanta’ Black Hollywood’, we really had to take that metaphor and really engage and indulge in it.”
The induction ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 17 in Atlanta.
Shirley Caesar, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Missy Elliott, Sean Combs, Usher, Outkast, and Kirk Franklin were among the previous inductees. James Brown, Quincy Jones, Otis Redding, and Stevie Wonder were the first honorees into the BMEWOF.
