ATLANTA – State Representative Erica Thomas (D-Austell) today announced that the Atlanta City Council has approved the installation of the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame, which was co-founded by Rep. Thomas. To celebrate the installation, Rep. Thomas, along with members of the Georgia Entertainment Caucus, will host the inaugural induction and unveiling ceremony of the “Crown Jewel of Excellence” on Thursday, June 17, 2021, from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on the corner of M.L.K. Jr. Dr. and Northside Dr. (adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Stadium) in Atlanta.
“I want to thank Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council for helping this walk of fame come to fruition, especially Councilman Antonio Brown who introduced the local ordinance,” said Rep. Thomas. “I am proud to have founded the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. As those around us try to silence the Black experience, it is more important than ever to preserve Black history. Our stories will not be silenced. Our history will not be forgotten. And, now, the successes of Black creators and entertainers will be memorialized here in Atlanta.”
The Atlanta City Council recently passed an ordinance to approve the installation of the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame. In an agreement between the City of Atlanta, the Georgia Entertainment Caucus and the Black American Music Association, sidewalk medallions honoring Black entertainers and musicians will be installed along Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in front of the Mercedes Benz Stadium this summer.
During the “Crown Jewel of Excellence” ceremony, the following Black entertainers will be inducted into the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame: Beyoncé Knowles, James Brown, Kirk Franklin, Michael Jackson, Missy Elliot, Otis Redding, Outkast, Quincy D. Jones, Sean “Love” Combs, Shirley Caeser, Stevie Wonder and Usher Raymond IV. This outdoor ceremony is open to the public.
Representative Erica Thomas represents the citizens of District 39, which includes portions of Cobb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2014 and currently serves as House Minority Caucus Vice Chairman. She also serves on the Budget and Fiscal Affairs Oversight, Juvenile Justice, Retirement and Science and Technology committees.
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