In the midst of turbulence and trouble in urban communities in the United States, music has remained a constant figure throughout the course of history.
I recently watched how the vision of one man changed the course of this history. In 1968, Don Cornelius earned a job at Chicago's WCIU-TV. This is where he developed his deep desire to see African Americans portrayed in a positive light in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement. His vision of a "black American Bandstand" turned into "Soul Train", which aired for the first time on August 17, 1970. By the end of the first season, the show expanded to 50 cities all over the country.
Little did I realize that it took less than a year for the show to get backing for national syndication. On October 2, 1971, the show premiered in Los Angeles, around the same time Motown moved to LA from Detroit. Apparently, this was a sign the times were a-changin' for black folks, at least in the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, it was a significant step in mainstream media.
Soul Train was also a platform for black-owned businesses (e.g. Johnson Products) to promote their company's products, which reinforced the phrase "black is beautiful". I remember this when I was younger. I looked forward to watching Soul Train every Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. I loved watching the commericals, which showed people that looked like me. I used to sing along to the"Just For Me" commercial and with Tyrese on the bus in the Coca-Cola commercial. Oh memories, good times...but I digress...
Don Cornelius also changed the game in business and journalism. It was a place where more black floor managers and black directors appeared on the scene. The show also created a voice for various forms of music, including a new genre on the scene--hip-hop. This was a form of music many were unfamilar with, and didn't understand. But, something about Doug E. Fresh's beatboxing and Slick Rick's lyrics (among other innovators of hip-hop) were intriguing and irresistible. The feeling of the atmosphere at Fresh Fest last night (a reunion tour featuring Salt N Pepa, Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane and Whodini) took me back to those years when I was a young lass watching them on television on Saturday mornings.
It was truly a sad day when Don Cornelius left the show in 1993, but even sadder when the show went off the air back in 2006. I didn't realize this show made history as the longest syndicated TV show--35 years!
Soul Train was more than a show for people to view the latest dance moves, fashion fads or hear the latest hits. It created a source of pride in our community that was much-needed and to this today, is truly appreciated, at least from a young twentysomething brown lady's perspective.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment