This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/feb/01/gift-don-cornelius-soul-train-genius

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
The gift of Don Cornelius, 'Soul Train' genius The gift of Don Cornelius, 'Soul Train' genius
(about 11 hours later)
Most of us, perhaps, know people who've committed suicide. In the past decade, I've lost friends who saw no way out of severe financial problems; and another who found it impossible to live with his manic depression. And like many, I have suffered through bouts of depression, but thanks to years of therapy and incredible friends, I never went down that path. Most of us, perhaps, know people who've killed themselves. In the past decade, I've lost friends who saw no way out of severe financial problems; and another who found it impossible to live with his manic depression. And like many, I have suffered through bouts of depression, but thanks to years of therapy and incredible friends, I never went down that path.
Yet the news of the sudden death of Don Cornelius, the 75-year-old American television pioneer who brought black culture to mainstream America with his long-running dance show "Soul Train", is a profound shock. That he was found, having apparently committed suicide early on 1 February, at the start of Black History Month in the US and Canada (the United Kingdom celebrates the month each October), is grimly ironic, given that Cornelius himself was a living embodiment of black and American history.Yet the news of the sudden death of Don Cornelius, the 75-year-old American television pioneer who brought black culture to mainstream America with his long-running dance show "Soul Train", is a profound shock. That he was found, having apparently committed suicide early on 1 February, at the start of Black History Month in the US and Canada (the United Kingdom celebrates the month each October), is grimly ironic, given that Cornelius himself was a living embodiment of black and American history.
He began as journalist in his native Chicago, and there have been stories through the years that he had other hustles on the side, like selling insurance. Whatever the case, Cornelius was clearly a man always in motion. Inspired by America's civil rights movement, he launched a local Chitown series dedicated to soul music because it simply was not on the air. Which was tragic, given that one of the greatest contributions black folks have given to America is our music. The show was an instant and stunning success: "Soul Train" was soon nationally syndicated, and it changed the color landscape of American popular culture forever.He began as journalist in his native Chicago, and there have been stories through the years that he had other hustles on the side, like selling insurance. Whatever the case, Cornelius was clearly a man always in motion. Inspired by America's civil rights movement, he launched a local Chitown series dedicated to soul music because it simply was not on the air. Which was tragic, given that one of the greatest contributions black folks have given to America is our music. The show was an instant and stunning success: "Soul Train" was soon nationally syndicated, and it changed the color landscape of American popular culture forever.
I am a child of the 1970s and have vivid memories of "Soul Train" on Channel 5 in New York City each Saturday morning at about 10am. I did not understand it then, but in retrospect, what Cornelius and that show represented was the cultural manifestation of the words of African American leaders like Dr King, Malcolm X, the Black Panther party, and many others. We were told, for the first time in our long history in America, that "black is beautiful" – and "Soul Train" gave us that beauty with blownout afros, bright and loud colors, form-fitting clothes, and the kind of dance moves that revolutionized that art form.I am a child of the 1970s and have vivid memories of "Soul Train" on Channel 5 in New York City each Saturday morning at about 10am. I did not understand it then, but in retrospect, what Cornelius and that show represented was the cultural manifestation of the words of African American leaders like Dr King, Malcolm X, the Black Panther party, and many others. We were told, for the first time in our long history in America, that "black is beautiful" – and "Soul Train" gave us that beauty with blownout afros, bright and loud colors, form-fitting clothes, and the kind of dance moves that revolutionized that art form.
For sure, we cannot talk about MTV, BET, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Beyonce, or even Madonna, without paying homage to many of the moves that first appeared on "Soul Train". For example, Michael Jackson's famous moonwalk was not his creation, but borrowed from dancer Jeffrey Daniel (later of R&B vocal group Shalimar), and debuted on "Soul Train" – some years before Jackson's historic performance on the Motown 25 special.For sure, we cannot talk about MTV, BET, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Beyonce, or even Madonna, without paying homage to many of the moves that first appeared on "Soul Train". For example, Michael Jackson's famous moonwalk was not his creation, but borrowed from dancer Jeffrey Daniel (later of R&B vocal group Shalimar), and debuted on "Soul Train" – some years before Jackson's historic performance on the Motown 25 special.
And "Soul Train" gave us Cornelius's catchphrases, like "love, peace and soul", which did as much for race relations in America as any march or protest. In my all-black ghetto of Jersey City, where I was born and raised, I assumed that only African Americans watched "Soul Train", perhaps naively, because my post-civil rights neighborhood was highly segregated, still. It wasn't until my later years, when I became fully engaged with people of all backgrounds that I learned they all watched "Soul Train" (and Dick Clark's "American Bandstand") on Saturdays, just as I had done. And like hip-hop several years later, "Soul Train" was a magnificent human family bridge-builder, our cultural CNN (as Chuck D of Public Enemy once famously described rap music). It clearly touched an American nerve, the American soul, in ways my child's mind could never imagine.
 
"Soul Train" was Cornelius's franchise, and it spawned spinoffs like the Soul Train Awards. In recent years, he sold it to a company led by Kenard Gibbs, a former colleague of mine at Quincy Jones's Vibe magazine. But these latter years were not been too kind to Cornelius. He suffered deep embarrassment when arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife, had two restraining orders filed against him. Fans began to wonder who the man was behind the glasses, the afro and the multi-hued suits.		And "Soul Train" gave us Cornelius's catchphrases, like "love, peace and soul", which did as much for race relations in America as any march or protest. In my all-black ghetto of Jersey City, where I was born and raised, I assumed that only African Americans watched "Soul Train", perhaps naively, because my post-civil rights neighborhood was highly segregated, still. It wasn't until my later years, when I became fully engaged with people of all backgrounds that I learned they all watched "Soul Train" (and Dick Clark's "American Bandstand") on Saturdays, just as I had done. And like hip-hop several years later, "Soul Train" was a magnificent human family bridge-builder, our cultural CNN (as Chuck D of Public Enemy once famously described rap music). It clearly touched an American nerve, the American soul, in ways my child's mind could never imagine.
 
"Soul Train" was Cornelius's franchise, and it spawned spinoffs like the Soul Train Awards. In recent years, he sold it to a company led by Kenard Gibbs, a former colleague of mine at Quincy Jones's Vibe magazine. But these latter years were not been too kind to Cornelius. He suffered deep embarrassment when arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife, had two restraining orders filed against him. Fans began to wonder who the man was behind the glasses, the afro and the multi-hued suits.
Because I do much work these days around gender violence prevention (as a result of dealing with the sexist behavior of my younger years), I remember being particularly disturbed to hear the allegations of domestic violence against Cornelius. To my mind, nothing justifies violence against each other; but apparently, beneath the surface of his celebrity and wealth, Don Cornelius made violence an outlet for whatever pain and trauma he had been carrying around for years.Because I do much work these days around gender violence prevention (as a result of dealing with the sexist behavior of my younger years), I remember being particularly disturbed to hear the allegations of domestic violence against Cornelius. To my mind, nothing justifies violence against each other; but apparently, beneath the surface of his celebrity and wealth, Don Cornelius made violence an outlet for whatever pain and trauma he had been carrying around for years.
The ultimate tragedy is that I doubt whether this man ever completely grasped how much joy and sunshine he had brought to others in his lifetime.The ultimate tragedy is that I doubt whether this man ever completely grasped how much joy and sunshine he had brought to others in his lifetime.