Entrepreneur: Universoul Circus founder Cedric Walker said people told him in 1994 a circus entertaining a Black audience would never work.

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Cedric Walker.  UniverSoul is a highly interactive combination of circus arts, theater, and music that spans genres including Pop, Classic R&B, Latin, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Gospel. It embraces and celebrates the unique and familiar aspects of pop culture globally by bringing them center stage with a cast of international performers. UniverSoul is rated as one of the top live family acts in America along with Cirque du Soleil. UniverSoul’s fresh approach to family friendly live entertainment has garnered it a coveted spot as one of Ticketmaster’s top ten most requested family events. UniverSoul was created 30 years ago as the brainchild of Atlanta concert and theater producer Cedric Walker.

Cedric Walker, a native of Baltimore, Maryland, showed an entrepreneurial spirit from a young age, starting with his shoe shine business at six years old. His love for the circus grew as he and his brother would re-create the spectacles they witnessed, with Cedric even dreaming of running away with the circus to work as a maintenance man. In the 1970s, Walker’s passion for entertainment led him to work with the Commodores and later become a promoter for the Jackson Five.

In the 1980s, he organized the Fresh Festivals, the world’s first Rap music tour in large arenas, featuring iconic rappers. By the mid-1990s, Walker and his team sought new family entertainment ideas, leading to the creation of The UniverSoul Circus in 1994, an urban family entertainment event under the big top. This groundbreaking venture showcased a variety of talents from black performers, ranging from hip-hop musicals to vaudeville acts, and animal performances, setting a new standard in live entertainment. Walker’s dedication to this vision inspired performers worldwide to join the unique and successful circus venture.

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