Black Music Month begins as Atlanta's Walk of Fame prepares new honors for music trailblazers

Monday marks the start of Black Music Month.

Signed into law by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, Black Music Month recognizes the cultural and historical significance of Black musicians.

The Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame (BMEWOF), located on Martin Luther King Jr. and Northside Dr., will add Crown Jewel of Excellence emblems for trailblazers in Black music, nearly 50 years after Black Music Month's inception.

The Class of 2026 induction ceremony, which was previously slated for Monday, has been postponed. 

BMEWOF said it's because of FIFA-related security fencing already going up in the area. 

Producer and songwriter Kenny Gamble is one of the many artists represented on the Walk of Fame.

He, along with journalist Dyana Williams and music executive Ed Wright, is part of the trio credited with grassroots efforts that led President Carter to declare June Black Music Month.

"I think the purpose really was to appreciate things that people were already listening to, but didn't get the proper notoriety right?" Carter Presidential Library and Museum director Meredith Evans told CBS Atlanta. "In the 70s, we still had sort of segregated stations. We call it R&B versus rock. We call it by the music genre but in reality, there were stations supporting specific cultures, and I think Carter wanted to put an end to that because he listened to everything."

President Carter is also a recipient of music's highest honor, winning a Grammy four times in the Spoken Word category.

As for the new induction ceremony, BMEWOF said they will announce the new date later this year.