When Soul Train was first nationally syndicated in October of 1971, there was nothing else like it on TV. It became an iconic Black music and dance show — a party every weekend that anyone could join from their living room. In the first episode of a three-part It's Been A Minute series examining the concept of crossover in pop music across three decades, Sam Sanders breaks down the lasting influence of Soul Train. With Hanif Abdurraqib, author of A Little Devil in America, as well as scholars, fans and even a few featured dancers, they ask: why has there never been another show like Soul Train since it went off the air?

It's Been A Minute: The Legacy Of 'Soul Train'

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Protests against the war in Gaza on college campuses now stretch from coast to coast. The United Kingdom is ready to pay a country thousands of miles away to take its unwanted refugees. And a years-long labor battle at Starbucks reaches the U.S. Supreme Court, which could set a precedent for future union building efforts.

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Historical markers dot the American landscape. They are on the sides of roads, in parks, rest areas, in the middle of nowhere. They purport to offer a glimpse into the past, marking a moment or place of significance worth remembering. But a year-long investigation by NPR's Laura Sullivan found some of these markers present a fractured and confused telling of the American story. Some share humor and joy but many present a version of history that's been distorted or outright fictionalized with offensive lies.

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It's Been A Minute: The Legacy Of 'Soul Train'

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