By Special to the Daily World
Footsteps of nine new revered civil rights icons will be added to the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame during the 2012 Trumpet Awards events. This induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 6, 2012, at 10 a.m. at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, National Park Service, located at 450 Auburn Ave. in Atlanta. The program preceding the induction ceremony will be held at the Ebenezer Baptist Church. The ceremonial host for this year’s occasion is Frank Ski with WVEE FM (V-103) Radio. The program and unveiling of the footsteps are free and open to the public.
The 2012 honorees in this distinguished group include Rev. Willie Bolden and J.T. Johnson and the Civil Rights Foot Soldiers, Rev. Dr. E.T. Caviness, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, Constance W. Curry, attorney Fred D. Gray, Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, Charles J. Ogletree Jr. and Dr. Walter F. Young.
The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame was created in 2004 to give recognition to the foot soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all. This extraordinary display has become one of the most visited tourist attractions in the city of Atlanta and has enriched the heritage of the Civil Rights Movement. The shoes used to create the footsteps will also be on display during the unveiling program.
The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame, now in its ninth year, is sponsored by the Trumpet Awards Foundation Inc., and was created and designed by Xernona Clayton, founder and executive producer of the legendary Trumpet Awards. Clayton said, “This walk of fame tells a phenomenal story about the legacy of this nation. It is a permanent testimony to those who have dedicated themselves to progress of our people and to this nation. Many of the shoes we use in the display remain on exhibition within the Visitors Center for those who visit the King Complex.”
Honorees in 2011 included Arthur Blank, James Brown, The Rev. Gerald Durley, Bishop Neil C. Ellis, Leon Hall, Bishop Barbara King,
Marc H. Morial, Mayor Carl Stokes, Congressman Louis Stokes and Henry “Hank” Thomas. Congressman James E. Clyburn, Judge Damon J. Keith, The Rev. Samuel Billy Kyles, National Newspaper Publishers Association, Eugene C. Patterson, The Rev. Albert Sampson, Rita Jackson Samuels, and Congresswoman Diane E. Watson were inducted in 2010. Other previous honorees include the Rev. Dr. C.M. Alexander; Danny J. Bakewell Sr.; Dr. Erieka Bennett; Roberto Goizueta; Cathy Hughes; Earvin “Magic” Johnson; The Links, Inc.; the Hon. Sam Massell; the Hon. Ernest N. Morial; the Rev. Al Sharpton, Congressman William L. Clay Sr. and the Rev. C. T. Vivian. Also, Dr. Maya Angelou; Sen. Edward W. Brooke; Tyrone L. Brooks Sr.; Sammy Davis Jr.; Jesse Hill Jr.; Dr. Benjamin Hooks; Herman Russell Sr.; Dr. Wyatt Tee Walker; Lerone Bennett Jr.; Tony Bennett; Marian Wright Edelman; Mayor Shirley Franklin; attorney Frankie Freeman; Joe Louis; Dr. Otis Moss Jr.; Joseph E. Boone; Rev. William Holmes Borders; Xernona Clayton; President William Clinton; Lena Horne; John E. Jacob; Rev. James Orange; the Hon. Bernard Parks; Archbishop Desmond Tutu; Stevie Wonder; Henry Aaron; Ted Turner, and many more.
“We will continue to build upon this commemorative memorial to the civil rights struggle that depicts the tireless efforts and passionate concern of these determined individuals whose footsteps appear in this Walk of Fame,” said Clayton.