Like the rest of America, I was distraught over the death of the great Don Cornelius, creator of the legendary show, Soul Train. There will never be another one like him, for he truly changed the black entertainment landscape for all eternity. I thought about Cornelius for a bit this morning and wanted to share five things that black people can learn from the master of soul:
1) How to start and build a business: Soul Train was not a show that some big corporation gave to Don Cornelius. It was his baby. Don started off in Chicago with a hot local show and eventually took the show to national syndication. He saw a void in entertainment and filled it. He carried his dream to the national level and now his vision remains a perpetual piece of black entertainment history. Most of us have dreams, but most of those dreams die. Find your dream, learn how to create your dream and then put your heart into building that dream. You'll be amazed at what you can do.
2) Edu-tainment really does work when it's done properly: Soul Train did what BET's 106 & Park should have done -- it entertained black people while encouraging us to develop our minds. I recall seeing the video of a 19-year-old Rev. Al Sharpton on the show, and another with Jesse Jackson sporting the coolest afro I'd ever seen. Don understood the importance of maintaining a double bottom line of social responsibility and corporate profitability, and he earned his millions conscientiously.
3) The value of creating your own platforms: Most black entertainers are excellent at performing their craft, but know very little about the business models that bring their work to a wider audience. Rather than hoping that some other show would grant media space for black entertainers, brother Don took matters into his own hands. As a result, scores of black superstars were born who never would have existed otherwise. That's what you call making something out of nothing.
4) Black is always beautiful: The on-going theme on Soul Train was "blackness." Cornelius always kept it authentic. The show allowed us to be cool, funky, intelligent, progressive, wild and creative without being endlessly scrutinized by the descendants of our historical oppressors. Don used his opportunity as a chance to tell all of us that we can be special if we choose to be, and for that, I'll always be grateful.
5) The power of Ujamaa: Ujamaa is the concept of unity, working together and supporting one another, especially in the area of economics. When we created our Ujamaa initiative to support black-owned businesses, we were inspired by the likes of Don Cornelius, whose show got off the ground via sponsorship from the Johnson Products Company, a black-owned enterprise. By conjoining black consumers with black businesses and black entertainment, Cornelius was able to create one of the greatest economic and entertainment empires in black American history. There's no limit to what we can do when we work together.
Goodbye Don Cornelius, you were oh-so special to all of us. You were the guardian of our collective soul, and a piece of that soul will be carried with you into heaven. May you always rest in peace.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.
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However, I have learned from his death, I think. The message for me is that we must make the best of the life we have now, as it one day will end. Hopefully it will not end in despair, but in joy of what comes after.
I hope he knew the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mr. Cornelius was a Visionary. He saw a need and envisioned a way to satisfy that need. The late sixties and early seventies was a period of unprecedented social, economic, and political development in the United States. Black culture was emerging, yet the mass media was intent on portraying old stereotypes and caricatures of African-Americans. Mr. Cornelius saw Soul Train as an opportunity to provide real images of Black culture.
Mr. Cornelius also was an Entrepreneur. It was not enough to have the vision of Soul Train, but it was necessary to have the infrastructure to make it happen. Mr. Cornelius had the ability to cultivate the finances and relationships that took the local dance show from Chicago to Hollywood where it became the showcase for Soul Music.
Finally, Mr. Cornelius was an astute businessman. He owned Soul Train. He was the chief executive in charge. He nurtured Soul Train and made it “the hippest trip in America”, and rode that train all the way to the bank.
Don Cornelius will be remembered for many things, but I believe we should appreciate Don Cornelius for his contributions as a Visionary, an Entrepreneur, and a Businessman.
SoulVisionTV.com