The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame is a historic promenade that honors some of the activists involved in the Civil Rights Movement and other national and global civil rights activists. It was created in 2004, and is located at the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site in Atlanta. The site also contains an outdoor exhibit that showcases, in granite and bronze, the footstep impressions of those honored.

According to the National Park Service, which runs the historic site, the Walk of Fame was created "to give recognition to those courageous soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all." The Walk of Fame has enriched historic value and cultural heritage to the area it is located, priming it into a tourist attraction.

The Walk of Fame is a product of Xernona Clayton, an American civil rights activist and executive broadcaster who founded the Trumpet Awards to recognize black excellence. Xernona has also run the Trumpet Awards Foundation since its inception in 2004 which has partnered with the Parks Services in putting on the Walk of Fame. In the National Historic Site location, the Walk of Fame averaged around 800,000 visitors a year.

Beginning in 2012, inductions will be held every two years.

In 2019 it was announced that new additions to the Walk of Fame as well as duplicates of 15 of the existing members would be installed at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta.

List of inductees

2004 Ralph David Abernathy, Sr., civil rights leader who had a close and enduring partnership with Dr. King Juanita J. Abernathy, civil rights activist Ivan Allen, Jr., former mayor of Atlanta during the turbulent civil rights era of the 1960s Julian Bond, civil rights leader Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States Medgar Evers, civil rights activist Dorothy Height, educator, social activist Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., minister, civil rights activist Judge Frank M. Johnson, United States Federal judge Lyndon Baines Johnson, 36th President of the United States John Lewis, politician, civil rights leader Joseph E. Lowery, minister, civil rights leader Evelyn G. Lowery, civil rights leader Thurgood Marshall, former US Supreme Court Justice (1969–1991) Rosa Parks, civil rights activist Rev. Hosea Williams, civil rights leader Andrew Young, civil rights activist, former mayor of Atlanta

2005 Henry Aaron, baseball player, social activist Harry Belafonte, musician, actor, social activist John Conyers, Jr., politician, social activist Dick Gregory, comedian, social activist Maynard H. Jackson, former mayor of Atlanta Ralph E. McGill, journalist, social activist Fred L. Shuttlesworth, social activist Ted Turner, media mogul and philanthropist Judge Elbert P. Tuttle, former chief judge of the US Court of Appeals (1960–1967) Nancy Wilson, singer, social activist Reverend Addie L. Wyatt, Labor leader, civil rights pioneer, pastor

2006 Reverend Joseph E. Boone, social activist Reverend William Holmes Borders, Sr. Xernona Clayton, civil rights leader, broadcasting executive Lena Horne, singer, actress, social activist John E. Jacob, former president and CEO of the National Urban League Reverend James Orange, pastor, civil rights activist Bernard Parks, politician, social activist Archbishop Desmond Tutu, South African cleric, social activist William Clinton, 42nd President of the United States Stevie Wonder, singer, civil rights activist

2007

Lerone Bennett, Jr., scholar, author, historian, social activist Tony Bennett, singer, social activist Marian Wright Edelman, social activist for the rights of children Shirley Franklin, 58th mayor of Atlanta Frankie Muse Freeman, civil rights attorney Joe Louis, boxer, social activist Sir Lynden Pindling, former Prime Minister of the Bahamas Sidney Poitier, actor, social activist Dr. Otis W. Smith, physician Maxine Waters, politician, social activist L. Douglas Wilder, former governor of Virginia Jean Childs Young, civil rights activist and educator

2008 Dr. Maya Angelou, poet, memoirist, actress Senator Edward W. Brooke, social activist, politician Tyrone L. Brooks, Sr., social activist, politician Sammy Davis Jr., singer, dancer Jesse Hill, Jr., business executive Dr. Benjamin Hooks, established Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change Clarence B. Jones, Martin Luther King's attorney Tom Joyner, radio host The Right Honorable Prime Minister Michael Manley, former Prime Minister of Jamaica Herman J. Russell, founder and CEO of H. J. Russell and Company Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker, executive director of the SCLC 1960-1964

2009 Rev. Dr. C.M. Alexander Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., entrepreneur Dr. Erieka Bennett Roberto Goizueta, CEO of Coca-Cola Cathy Hughes, entrepreneur, radio and television personality, and business executive Earvin "Magic" Johnson, basketball great and businessman The Links, Incorporated, nonprofit organization of professional African-American women Sam Massell, businessman and mayor of Atlanta Ernest N. Morial, mayor of New Orleans Father Michael L. Pfleger, Roman Catholic priest and social activist Rev. Al Sharpton, social justice agitator and media figure Congressman William L. Clay, Sr. Rev. C. T. Vivian, minister and Martin Luther King associate

2010 Congressman James E. Clyburn Judge Damon J. Keith Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles National Newspaper Publishers Association Eugene C. Patterson Rev. Albert Sampson Rita Jackson Samuels Congresswoman Diane E. Watson

2011 Arthur Blank James Brown Rev. Dr. Gerald Durley Bishop Neil C. Ellis Leon Hall Bishop Barbara King Marc H. Morial Mayor Carl Stokes Congressman Louis Stokes Henry "Hank" Thomas

2012 Rev. Willie Bolden & J.T. Johnson and the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers Rev. Dr. E. T. Caviness Dosan Ahn Chang-ho Constance W. Curry Fred D. Gray Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh Charles J. Ogletree, Jr. Dr. Walter F. Young

2014 Bishop John Hurst Adams Governor Roy Barnes John Carlos Tommie Smith Perry Gladstone Christie, Prime Minister of the Bahamas Dr. Norman C. Frances Harry E. Johnson Representative Calvin Smyre Thomas N. Todd Rev. Jasper W. Williams, Jr.

2016 Dr. Amelia Boynton Robinson, civil rights activist from the Selma movement Rev. Dr. Jamal-Harrison Bryant, pastor, philanthropist, author, motivational speaker Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III, pastor, community activist Rev. Dr. Jim Holley, Historic Little Rock Missionary Baptist Church pastor, "ministry of liberation" Gordon L. Joyner, influential Atlanta lawyer Rev. Dr. Raphael Warnock, pastor, defender of civil and human rights

2019 Jan Prisby Bryson, business executive Thomas W. Dortch Jr., national chair of 100 Black Men of America Monica Kaufman Pearson, broadcast journalist Sir Franklyn R. Wilson, Bahamian businessman - chairman of Sunshine Holdings Limited

See also List of civil rights leaders

References

External links International Civil Rights Walk of Fame website by National Park Service