At the official unveiling of theGrio owner Byron Allen‘s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the media mogul caught up with theGrio and opened up about this triumphant moment in his long and vast career.
On Wednesday morning, Byron Allen officially received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, as theGrio previously reported.
At the intersection of Hollywood and Vine, Allen’s star is right next to his mentor, Johnny Carson, who gave him his big break at the start of his career.
After being honored by Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, Funny You Should Ask host John Kelley and Entertainment Tonight‘s Kevin Fraizer, Allen went on to give a speech honoring his family, and inspiring those watching him to chase their dreams.
Allen chatted with theGrio after his speech about the star and what it means to him.
Allen exclusively told theGrio‘s Cortney Wills at the event, “For me, I’m not trying to change the town. For me, I’m building the world’s biggest media company and we’re effectuating change throughout the world.”
He added that his “first order of business” is to achieve “one America” through “the four E’s”, including education, equal justice, economic inclusion and environmental protection.
“Once we achieve that, we can achieve a slice of heaven here on earth,” he tells theGrio. “I think if we can get people to focus on that, see that, think that, believe that and persue that, then we have something that is really worth dedicating our lives to.”
He went on to credit Martin Luther King Jr. and his “The Other America” speech to changing his perspective on America. “I don’t want to just build the world’s biggest, greatest media company, I want to do it and effectuate change while we also persue that dream that Dr. Martin Luther King taught us: one America.”
Byron’s mother, Carolyn Folks, also attended the unveiling. As TheGrio previously reported, Allen dedicated much of his speech to his mother, telling her, “This star is not just my star, this is our star, so I want you to know that.”
She told theGrio, “It’s really an amazing day … he just always had a dream, and there never seemed to be any ceiling.” She went on to describe his childhood, and how as an only child he was always “creating his own world and dreaming.”
Mere moments after her son received one of the greatest honors in showbiz, she added, “this is what make believe has turned into.”
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