Gene Seymour: Don Cornelius helped ignite the 1970s’ explosion of black culture, hosting an electrifying show that toppled barriers.

What became a beloved fixture in American television history first started as a road show. After being hired by Chicago's WVON radio station to cover news and sports, a young reporter named Don ...

During the 1970s, when the Apollo was struggling, “Soul Train” was revving its engine and taking the black music — and, of course, dance — experience from the theater to you… ...

Love, peace and ‘Soul Train’: On Aug. 17, 1970, the ‘hippest trip in America’ started in Chicago The local TV dance show became a cultural phenomenon that took the world by storm.

Viacom’s BET has acquired the “Soul Train” franchise, which includes 1,100 episodes of the classic dance and music show. Pictured is a book on “Soul Train” by Don Cornelius, right.