New chapters of African American history are written every day. From President Barack Obama’s place as the 44th American President to Beyonce’s recent record-breaking six Grammy Award wins, African Americans confidently, and consistently take their place in the record books. Among them of course, is Don Cornelius as the first African American to have ownership of a television show.

VH1 Rock Docs takes a much-deserved look into the history of “Soul Train,” narrated by Academy Award-nominated actor, Terrance Howard. “The Hippest Trip In America” touches on Cornelius’ involvement as a journalist during the civil rights movement in 1960s Chicago. Dissatisfied with the images of young, urban youth he saw represented in the media, he turned to the only television station in the city that aired programming targeted to African Americans, WCIU-TV.

When Cornelius pitched the idea of a “black American Bandstand” program, he was not only successful, he walked away with full ownership of the show. In the documentary, he candidly admits that even if the station didn’t offer him ownership of his program, he would have eagerly taken the opportunity to do it, anyway.

Early “Soul Train” was born in a small studio and featured up-and-coming performers (at the time) like the O’Jays, the Staple Singers and Curtis Mayfield. Cornelius looked to the neighborhood youth for dance talent, and hopefuls would clamor for the chance to dance on the best black TV show on the airwaves. “Soul Train” was an instant success and was picked up by several other markets. As the show grew in popularity, so did Cornelius’ master plan for the “Soul Train” enterprise. Around the time that Motown Records relocated to Los Angeles, “Soul Train” followed suit, and from there the true identity of the series was defined.

Interviews with the show’s talent booker and veteran Soul Train dancers give viewers an idea of what it was like to live the Soul Train experience in Hollywood. Between footage that spans from the 70s through early 2000s, entertainment industry icons including Chaka Khan, Patti LaBelle, Smokey Robinson, Snoop Dogg, Aretha Franklin, L.A. Reid, Clive Davis and Kenny Gamble all share their perspectives on the impact the series had on their careers and the music industry as a whole.

The documentary reveals little-known facts about the series, such as the Chicago episodes were never taped, while coaxing recluse personalities like Sly Stone and Cornelius back in front of the camera for interviews. The production is skillfully executed and features an original score by Questlove of The Roots. It’s difficult not to experience a spectrum of emotions as the story unfolds and makes real the fact that “Soul Train” is truly an American icon.

Tune in: “The Hippest Trip In America” airs Wednesday February 10 (1:00 a.m. ET/PT) on VH1 (confirm with your local listings).

– Quia Querisma

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Quia Querisma is a freelance writer, Dallas Glambassador, and enthusiast of dresses, shoes, premium denim and socializing of all varieties. She is many things to many people at QuiaQuerisma.com