ATLANTA—Xernona Clayton, journalist, musician, and assistant to Martin Luther King, started the Civil Rights Walk of Fame 20 years ago.
“For those who don’t really know the significance of this moment, we took the real shoes of real people who made a difference in society—people who gave their lives … who sacrificed to make life better for us,” said Clayton at the recent induction ceremony for the Walk of Fame.
Clayton said she created the walk to tell the stories of people who lived unselfish lives. Each year new people are honored, in tandem with the Trumpet Awards, which honor the achievements of black Americans.
Once when Clayton visited a school, a 9-year-old boy flung himself to the floor and took off his shoes. Asking his teacher for “permission to tell Miss Clayton something,” he said, “One of these days I’m going to be somebody, and she’s going to need my shoes,” according to Clayton.
