As a popular local dance show, Soul Train provided African American teenagers a chance to see and identify with their peers on television. It established the producer and host Don Cornelius as one of the most successful pioneers of African American television production. This work presents a chronology of the series and Cornelius' other ventures.

This work discusses producer Don Corneliuss role in the evolution of his groundbreaking series from a small, all-black 1970s television show to a lucrative brand name applying not only to the program, but also to awards and various merchandise in the present day.