Today, Black faces are seen across networks, cable shows, and streaming platforms. Yet, not long ago, Black folks used to run to the television set to spot a glowing brown face on the small screen. Long before sitcoms and dramas like Living Single and Scandal pulled in viewers from across the country, Ellis Haizlip’s public television series SOUL! premiered, giving Black viewers an unfiltered and authentic representation of Black culture on TV.
Soul! debuted September 12, 1968, and was produced by Haizlip, an activist and creator, and PBS’s WNDT. He would eventually host the series, introducing acts like Al Green, Patti LaBelle, and the Bluebelles, and even providing the platform for that infamous conversation between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni. The series would run until 1973, showcasing various musical acts and giving a stage to activists like Kathleen Cleaver and Betty Shabazz.
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