on the verge of maybe perpetrat- ACORN operates. Rather than rely on volunteers, it pays peoing one of the greatest frauds in ple, many of them poor or unemvoter history in this country, ployed, to sign up new voters. maybe destroying the fabric of February 25, 2012 - March 2, 2012, The Afro-American The idea was to help both those democracy.” Factcheck.org, a non-partisan being registered and those doing the registration. Web site, found those claims to Maud explained, “We have a be “exaggerated,” with “no evizero tolerance policy for deliberdence of any such democracyate falsification of registration.” destroying fraud.” Most news account neglect to Hurd believes the McCain charges were politically motivat- point out that ACORN is required by law to committed turn in all regThere is no shortchanging the impact that “Soul Train” on may not be as to ed.people who didn’t create it, who forms. And they also fail said,as“Because it’s lowstill has today. “Soul Train” lines — some impromptu, some the She culture its original creators,”istration Hill said. to note was the organizaandGibbs moderate-income people, organized — popped up around the country in honor of acknowledged that it is not easythat to itcontinue a tion, in many and people of color, I believe the Cornelius after his Feb. 1 death. Well before Cornelius died, television show’s brand beyond its lifetime on instances, televisionthat —first and brought the phony registrations McCain campaign thinks those they were a staple at weddings or other festive gatherings, and there are few shows that have. But he said he’s certain it can to the attention of authorities. voters are to Train.” vote even found their way into movies such as Spike Lee’s Crooklyn happen forgoing “Soul The McCain camp apparently Democratic, which is not necesin 1994 and the family holiday story This Christmas in 2007. “I think that dance, fashion and music, the best of music, isn’t interested in those fine sarily true.” “What are really the tent poles for ‘Soul points, preferring to air misleadACORN is no stranger to ‘Soul Train’ Train’ going forward. I believe those ing ads that seek to link Obama controversy. did was to things aretoenduring as the ideas ACORN,just thereby undercutting For 38 years, the non-partisan make it so and ideals of love, peace and soul are organization has fought for social his political support. visible and enduring,” Gibbs said. McCain: I’m John McCain and economic justice for lowmake it Whatever futurethis of message. the show and Ithe approve and moderate-income almost a ritual and its progeny, black independent Announcer: Who is Barack Americans. With 400,000 memfor Black what was the “germ” of A man with “a political ber families organized intomedia more —Obama? baptism performed at warp America,” “Soul Train” — are increasing their than 1,200 neighborhood chapspeed.” Vast ambition. After colters in 110 cities nationwide, said Mark foothold in American mainstream lege, said. he moved to show Chicago. ACORN has over the yearsculture, seen Neal Anthony Neal, Radio a community organizer. its share of criticism while producers advo- Became a professor Tom Joyner and Michael There, Obama met Madeleine cating for affordable housing, of African Baisden and Issa Rae, creator of Talbot, partshow of the“The Chicago living wages, healthcare forthe theWeb-produced and Africanbranch of ACORN. He was so underserved— and while organAmerican Misadventures of an Awkward Black impressive that he was asked to izing voter registration drives. Studies Girl” are carrying on the “Soul Train” train the ACORN staff. But none has been asTMwithering at Duke legacy and “all from Whatbenefitting did ACORN in Chicago and baseless as this one. University. something Don Cornelius set in motion engage in? Bullying banks. With the presidential election In the 1970s, “Soul Train” alone provided a national, weekly with Soul Train,” Neal said. Intimidation tactics. Disruption less than two weeks away, showcase for R&B artists, black culture and fashion, and gave “When detractors all is saidallege and done, to be able to present business. ACORN forced ACORN’s the he ofwanted advertisers an entrée to the black consumer market. By the black acts onhas television what hebanks saw to asissue its most riskyorganic home loans. organization engaged on in mas‘80s, mainstream audiences moved on while African Americans context ....registration He understood correctly there anofinterest for The samewas types loans that sive voter fraud after stuck with the show, said Christopher Lehman, author of A that well beyond black Neal caused the said. financial crisis we’re the reported discovery of communities,” bogus in today. names, such as Mickey Mouse Critical History of Soul Train on Television. “As a result, mainstream audiences begin to see ‘Soul Train’ as a show that is a relic of the ‘70s just because it hadn’t been showing music that was popular with the mainstream since the ‘70’s, even though the music had been popular with African Americans all along,” Lehman said. Identification Statements The success of “Soul Train” got many others in the game, Baltimore Afro-American — (USPS 040-800) is published weekly by The Afro-American some that had far more resources to devote to the programming, Newspapers, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. Subscription Rate: said Marc Lamont Hill, associate professor of education at Baltimore - 1 Year - $30.00 (Price includes tax.) Checks for subscriptions should be made payable to: The Afro-American Newspaper Company, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD Columbia University and an expert on the hip-hop generation. 21218-4602. Periodicals postage paid at Baltimore, MD. “Soul Train” had to compete with video shows on BET that POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Afro-American Newspaper Company, 2519 broadcast Black artists, and eventually MTV and VH-1. A N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. plethora of awards shows also provide competition, including The Washington Afro-American & Washington Tribune — (0276-6523) is published the BET Awards. weekly by the Afro-American Newspapers at 1917 Benning Road, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002-4723. Subscription Rate: Washington - 1 Year - $30.00. Periodical Postage paid Now, Hill said, the entertainment culture has shifted, where at Washington, D.C. shows featuring Black culture are no longer owned solely by POSTMASTER: Send addresses changes to: The Washington Afro-American African Americans, he said. & Washington Tribune, 2519 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-4602. “To some extent ‘Soul Train’s’ legacy is partially dependent
A3
“Magic” Johnson Guiding Future of the Soul Train Brand Lots of Entertainment Possibilities Being Considered By Suzanne Gamboa Associated Press Before the death of Don Cornelius stirred pangs of “Soul Train” nostalgia in the American public, a group of Black entrepreneurs already had begun working to revive Cornelius’ creation and carry it beyond the continued popularity of the show’s dances and television reruns. What, exactly, can be done with “Soul Train,” given that it lasted nearly four decades and is considered an American institution, even though there hasn’t been a new episode in six years? Will the soul of “Soul Train” carry on, or drift into history? Soul Train Holdings, the entity created by NBA legend and entrepreneur Earvin “Magic” Johnson when he bought the “Soul Train” library and brand last year, has a lot of ideas. Among them is bringing a “Soul Train” variety show back to television, CEO Kenard Gibbs told The Associated Press. There have been discussions with writers about taking “Soul Train” to Broadway, Gibbs said, and also in the works are film opportunities, potential book deals and, in 2013, the first “Soul Train” cruise. “The brand itself, we believe, has far, far other entertainment-based tentacles we can stretch,” Gibbs said. During a memorial for Cornelius in Los Angeles last week, Johnson assured Cornelius’ son Tony, “The brand that your father has created will last a lifetime.” Black Entertainment Network, BET, and Centric TV, a BET Network, also have rights to the Soul Train brand and name, and have revamped the Soul Train Awards, which have aired on BET Networks since 2009. The awards show has been the network’s second highest-rated special, said Paxton Baker, Centric executive vice president and general manager. Baker said the show has held its own and plans are under way for a tribute to Cornelius for this year’s show, planned for broadcast Nov. 25, keeping its Sunday-after-Thanksgiving air date tradition, on BET and Centric. “For our part, it was a great brand and made a lot of sense for us to go out and acquire the brand and put our stamp on it,” Baker said. There are some 1,100 hours of “Soul Train” episodes and specials, many of which have only aired once on television. Some are posted on the “Soul Train” website, reminding viewers of celebrities’ past lives. Talk show host Jay Leno recently reminded star athlete Johnson, that even he once grooved on the iconic show’s dance floor. Leno aired a clip of a younger, slimmer Johnson towering over the other dancers with moves best described as bouncing, and jokingly asked if Johnson bought “Soul Train” ‘’just so you could burn that tape?”
♦
0
NEW 2011 COROLLA
%
APR FINANCING FOR 5 YEARS*
NEW 2011 RAV4
1
.9%
APR FINANCING FOR 5 YEARS*
2
NEW 2012 CAMRY(EXCLUDES HYBRIDS)
169
$ MO. DUE AT $ OR 36 MOS. 2599 SIGNING LEASE AN LE FOR
..9% OR
†
TAX, TAGS AND INSURANCE ARE EXTRA. PLUS TOYOTA LEASE CASH††
$500
199
$ MO. AT OR 36 MOS. $2999 DUE SIGNING LEASE FOR
†
TAX, TAGS AND INSURANCE ARE EXTRA. PLUS TOYOTA LEASE CASH††
$500
NEW 2011 PRIUS (3RD GENERATION ONLY)
0
%
OR
APR FINANCING FOR 5 YEARS*
1000
$
CASH BACK**
FROM TOYOTA
APR FINANCING FOR 5 YEARS*
†
TAX, TAGS AND INSURANCE ARE EXTRA.
NEW 2012 TACOMA
500
$
FROM TOYOTA
229
$ MO. AT OR 36 MOS. $2799 DUE SIGNING LEASE FOR
CASH BACK**
219
$ MO. DUE AT $ 36 MOS. 1999 SIGNING LEASE AN LE FOR
†
TAX, TAGS AND INSURANCE ARE EXTRA.
Buyatoyota.com *ALL APR OFFERS: APR FINANCING UP TO 60 MONTHS AVAILABLE TO QUALIFIED BUYERS THRU TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. TOTAL FINANCED CANNOT EXCEED MSRP PLUS OPTIONS, TAX AND LICENSE FEES. 60 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF $16.67 AT 0% AND $17.48 AT 1.9% OR $17.92 AT 2.9% FOR EACH $1000 BORROWED. NOT ALL BUYERS WILL QUALIFY. †ALL LEASE OFFERS: CUSTOMER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXCESSIVE WEAR AND EXCESS MILEAGE CHARGES OF $.15 PER MILE IN EXCESS OF 36,000 MILES. YOUR PAYMENT MAY VARY BASED ON FINAL NEGOTIATED PRICE. NOT ALL CUSTOMERS WILL QUALIFY. COROLLA LEASE FOR $169 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $2,599 DUE AT SIGNING. DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2,430 DOWN, FIRST $169 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. COROLLA LE 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 1838, MSRP $18,360. CAMRY LEASE FOR $219 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $1,999 DUE AT SIGNING. DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $1,780 DOWN, FIRST $219 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. 2012 CAMRY LE 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 2532, MSRP $23,700. RAV4 LEASE FOR $199 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $2,999 DUE AT SIGNING. DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2800 DOWN, FIRST $199 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. RAV4 FWD 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 4432, MSRP $24,835. TACOMA LEASE FOR $229 PER MONTH FOR 36 MONTHS WITH $2,799 DUE AT SIGNING. DUE AT SIGNING INCLUDES $2570 DOWN, FIRST $229 PAYMENT, AND NO SECURITY DEPOSIT. TACOMA 4 CYLINDER AUTOMATIC MODEL 7503, MSRP $21,715. ††INCENTIVE FROM TOYOTA IN ADDITION TO SPECIAL LEASE OFFER ON COROLLA LE AND RAV4 WHEN VEHICLE IS LEASED OR PURCHASE IS FINANCED THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. ON LEASES, INCENTIVE WILL BE APPLIED FIRST TOWARD THE AMOUNT DUE AT LEASE SIGNING OR DELIVERY, WITH ANY REMAINDER APPLIED TO THE CAPITALIZED COST REDUCTION; ON FINANCE CONTRACTS, INCENTIVE WILL BE APPLIED TO THE DOWN PAYMENT. ONE INCENTIVE PER FINANCE OR LEASE TRANSACTION. FINANCE INCENTIVE IS AVAILABLE ON APPROVED CREDIT TO QUALIFIED CUSTOMERS THROUGH TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS. **PURCHASERS CAN RECEIVE $500 OR $1,000 CASH BACK FROM TOYOTA OR CAN APPLY CASH BACK TO DOWN PAYMENT. SEE DEALER FOR DETAILS.***COVERS NORMAL FACTORY SCHEDULED SERVICE. PLAN IS 2 YEARS OR 25K MILES, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. THE NEW TOYOTA VEHICLE CANNOT BE PART OF A RENTAL OR COMMERCIAL FLEET OR A LIVERY OR TAXI VEHICLE. SEE PARTICIPATING TOYOTA DEALER FOR COMPLETE PLAN AND COVERAGE DETAILS. ♦INSURANCE INSTITUTE FOR HIGHWAY SAFETY RATING FOR 2012 CAMRY, VEHICLE CLASS MIDSIZE CARS. FOR MORE DETAILS ON 2012 TOP SAFETY PICK AWARDS, SEE WWW.IIHS.ORG. OFFERS END 3/05/12.
ACOR bomba racist m The debate, organiz offices After a appear sent to “is goin A work receive ing, “W at 9” an Ac messag machin calling Barack hung. H nigger, (explet fraudul hell. A They’r eys, the nated, Ano liberal deleted guys ju come t every n and ma all you up the one els bills fo your ki move. Forget bills fo it. You hope y Hur cease s “In attacks will be name b becaus the last But deterre “We long tim the righ income country going t econom nities.”