Smokey Robinson, Cicely Tyson, Ray Charles, Berry Gordy and More to Be Inducted Into Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame

The 2022 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame has announced its inductees and this year’s list couldn’t be more iconic.

Per ABC News, legends like Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, and the late Cicely Tyson and Ray Charles are set to get their well-deserved flowers during the ceremony, which is set to take place in Atlanta on Feb. 17. Additional artists expected to be honored at the ceremony include: Lauryn Hill, Snoop Dogg, New Edition, TLC, Lionel Richie, Mary J. Blige, Donald Lawrence, Bebe and Cece Winans, Yolanda Adams and Prince. Tyler Perry will also be recognized with the Mainstream Mogul Award.

A joint initiative between the Black American Music Association and the Georgia Entertainment Caucus, the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame seeks to “honor iconic individuals and organizations that have impacted Black culture and community alongside those who continue to lead us into the future,” per their website. Founded in 2017, the Black American Music Association is an organization dedicated to music professionals, creators and scholars to protect and promote the legacy of Black music.

Past honorees for the Walk of Fame include Outkast, Usher, Shirley Caesar, Missy Elliot, Kirk Franklin, Sean “P. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Puff/Love” Combs, Otis Redding, Beyoncé, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. Whew, chile—can you say STACKED? This list alone screams Black musical excellence!

I don’t know why it took this long to have our own Black Walk of Fame but I’m glad we finally do. Our people have contributed so much to the entertainment sector—not to mention, society as a whole. The aforementioned icons and those yet to be honored all deserve this and more for their consistent contributions and influence. I can’t wait to see who makes the list in the years to come.

For more information, feel free to visit theblackwalkoffame.com.