The Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, located in Atlanta, Georgia, started in January 2021, to honor African Americans with a monument for their achievements in entertainment. The walk of fame is located in the historic Downtown Atlanta area, on the sidewalks of Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and Northside Drive.

Quincy Jones, Otis Redding, and James Brown were among the first to be honored, as “Foundational Inductees”, and will be inducted in June 2021. There are seven categories for induction; there are separate male and female categories in both hip-hop and mainstream (the Walk of Fame’s term to describe R&B that is not hip-hop). Thirty-five performers were nominated for the inaugural ceremony. The ceremony was set for June 17, 2021. Other inaugural inductees include Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Usher, Missy Elliot, and OutKast.

Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame

The National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame inducted its first 24 members, half from sports and half from entertainment, at a ceremony Wednesday night in Harlem, N.Y.

“Harlem is the home of some of the greatest sports and entertainment legends in history,” said Lloyd Williams, the head of the Harlem Chamber of Commerce, one of the organizers of the event.

“This year we are extremely pleased to be launching the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame as part of Harlem Week 2001.”

Among the athletes inducted were: three-time world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, trumpeter Louis Armstrong, tennis great Arthur Ashe who was an activist for civil rights and AIDS, basketball player Wilt Chamberlain, Cuban baseball sports agent Joe Cuba, tennis player Althea Gibson who was the first black to win Wimbledon and Johnny Isaacs, a member of the first salaried full-time professional black basketball team.

Also inducted were: winner of six Olympic medals, Jackie Joyner-Kersee; Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Hall of Fame player for the New York Knicks; the first black to play major league baseball, Jackie Robinson; Sugar Ray Robinson who was the first boxer to win five titles and Wilma Rudolph, a track and field athlete who won three gold medals in the 1960 Olympics.

“Not all those inducted are African American,” said Williams.

“Also, inducted are singers Tony Bennett and Frank Sinatra who supported civil rights as well as a sports cartoonist for the New York Daily News Bill Gallo.”

Those inducted from entertainment were: the first black woman nominated for an Academy Award as best actress, Dorothy Dandridge; jazz musician Duke Ellington, jazz vocalist Ella Fitzgerald; jazz vibraphonist Lionel Hampton who was among first black musicians to appear on CBS’s “The Ed Sullivan Show;” New York City disc jockey Hal Jackson; jazz vocalist Gloria Lynne; rock and roll singer Lloyd Price; Grammy-winning Latin musician Tito Puente and pop singer Dionne Warwick.

The gala was held at the Aaron Davis Hall at the City University of New York in Harlem.

There is no building to house the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame but Williams and other organizers including Republican New York Gov. George Pataki and Rep. Charles Rangel, a Democrat from Harlem, plan to raise funds to build a museum that they believe will attract tourists. A walk of fame along 135th St. is also planned.

Highlights:

No Permanent Home

• Although there is no permanent home yet, the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame has will induct its first 24 members on Aug. 29 at the Aaron Davis Hall at City College In New York.

Built-In Harlem

• The Hall of Fame will eventually be built in Harlem, which organizers hope will include a memorial, a museum, and some sort of education entity that will become a tourist mecca.

Walk Of Fame

• There will also be a walk of fame on 135th Street between St. Nicholas and Fifth Avenues.

24 Initial Inductees

• The 24 initial inductees are Muhammad Ali, Louis Armstrong, Arthur Ashe, Tony Bennett, Wilt Chamberlain, Joe Cuba, Dorothy Dandridge, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill Gallo, Althea Gibson, Marty Glickman, Lionel Hampton, Johnny Isaacs, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Gloria Lynne, Earl Monroe, Lloyd Price, Tito Puente, Jackie Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson, Wilma Rudolph, Frank Sinatra and Dionne Warwick.

Four Caucasian Inductees

• There are four caucasian inductees: Bennett and Sinatra, for their support of civil rights causes; Glickman for campaigning for integration in sports; and Gallo for his sports cartoons.

Sue Simmons will get a special award as will Don King, who will also get a special tribute.

To Sum Up

The National Black Radio Hall of Fame does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

I hope the above article helped you to gain knowledge about music and entertainment hall of fame.

FAQ’s

Who was inducted into the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame?

Shaffer holds two honorary doctorate degrees, was inducted into the National Black Sports and Entertainment Hall of Fame and was awarded a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame. In 2008, Paul received the Order of Canada, Canada’s highest civilian honor. He lives in the New York area with his wife and two children.

What is a sports hall of fame?

The International Sports Hall of Fame (ISHOF) is a section 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization established in 2012 by Dr. Goldman to honor the world’s greatest athlete legends in all categories of sports. The ISHOF’s mission is to inspire future generations of athletes by honoring the sports heroes of today.

Do you have to be black to be in the Black Sports Hall of Fame?

The inductees include a few people who are not black, but who helped broaden opportunities for black athletes or entertainers. There is, as yet, no actual hall to visit.

Is there a hall of fame for every sport?

Halls of fame weren’t originally meant for sports. Since then high schools, colleges, and pro teams both major and minor league have opened their own halls of fame. As well as halls — both real and virtual — for nearly every sport you can think of.