His mission was to create a television show and provide exposure for people who would not get it otherwise. The show was inspired by a popular dance show called "American Bandstand" hosted by Dick Clark. Durnig the early seventy's the show only catered to white audiences and advertisers.

But Cornelius wanted to create a dance show that would feature enterainment for black audiences and invite advertisers to market their products to the black community. He decided to name the show "Soul Train" based on a previous television show production.

Once the show aired within a few weeks it gained massive popularity and received alot of attention. The success of the show had a great influence on the black youth culture and their dance style.

Ultimately the show became popular and one of the longest running syndicated television shows in the history of television. Don Cornelius played a vital role in delivering black audiences to mainstream advertisers. He was one of the first producers to understand the importance of black independent media.

Don Cornelius was the sole creator and producer for the show. He ran the whole operation of show. He had to take on the position as host and producer. He also had to promote and sell the concept of the show to T.V. advertisers and radio stations.

But before he ventured off into the biggest career of his life he had a career as an insurance salesman earning $250 dollars per week. To help make his dreams come true he made a career move to work in the radio industry earning $50.00 per week. This was a huge opportunity for him because Black people were denied opportunities to work in the media industry durning the 1970's. The move allowed him to gain experienced in broadcasting as a dis-jockey and radio talk show host. He invested $400.00 of his earnings to help create a pilot for the show.

To music hungry viewers Cornelius was a smooth sharp-dressed man who got them dancing to the hottest tracks going.

And according to the pop world's biggest stars, they recalled him as a cultural groundbreaker who advanced African-American music and culture, a black entrepreneur who overcame racism by strength of will, and a visionary who understood rap's emergence.

"Soul Train" followed some of "American Bandstand's" format with its audience and young dancers. But that's where the comparisons stopped. Cornelius was the suave ultra-cool emcee who made "Soul Train" an event worth viewing.

Don Cornelius once said; " You want to do what you're capable of doing. So when I saw Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" I saw dancing, and I knew black kids could dance better. I saw white artists, and I knew black artists make better music. I saw a white host, and I knew a black host could project a hipper line of speech. And since I knew all these things then it was reasonable for me to try".

Don Cornelius had succeeded in creating a Black owned syndicated television show. The show became a national success. The show was originally aired in Chicago locally and then got picked up by other cities such as: Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and San Francisco. "Soul Train" ultimately spreaded to many advertising markets and with the success of the show Cornelius became a power player. His time and investment paid off and paved the way for other black television shows

Soul Train's influence as an arbiter of black youth style and culture in the 1970's played a critical role in delivering black consumers to mainstream advertisers. Cornelius opened the door for numerous Black entrepreneurs in the entertainment industry and developed close friendships with Black owned sponsors and changed the role of Black Independent Media.

Another factor that contributed to the success of the show was the actual participants. The show included soul dancers and the hottest entertainers in the industry. Most of the viewers ranged from teens to young adults. And aside from enjoying the top musical groups that garnished the stage they would watch the show to see what the newest dance crave was, what the dancers were wearing, and who had the biggest "afro".

Don Cornelius took a dream and made it a reality with the support of advertisers and television sponsors. The show "Soul Train" inspired the black youth culture and style of dancing around the world. The sacrifice that he made contributed to the success of the show as well as the success of many entertainers. Many people from different backgrounds watched the show confessed how the show had impacted their lives. "Soul Train" will always be a success and Don Cornelius will always be remembered for his achievements.

"Soul Train" became the longest-running first-run nationally syndicated show in television history bringing African American music and style to the world for 35 years.