'Soul Train' artifacts go to Smithsonian

The Smithsonian's Museum of African-America History received a donation of artifacts from the television show "Soul Train" for its collection, officials say. Items included "Applause" signs, the 10-foot-wide neon "Soul Train" sign, the neon "Soul Train Awards" sign, silver African heads from the awards program and the Scramble Board, on which dancers unscrambled word puzzles quickly, The Washington Post reported. The relics will be part of the museum's exhibitions "Musical Crossroads," "Black Popular Culture" and "Make a Way Out of No Way." The donation came in time to celebrate the show's 40th anniversary, first aired in 1971, was one of the longest-running nationally syndicated first-run programs in television history, and was host to artists such are Aretha Franklin, James Brown and the Jackson 5. The celebration included a dance lesson that appropriately turned into a dance party that spilled onto the Mall Thursday night, the Post said. Lonnie G. Bunch, founding director of the museum, accepted the donation "on behalf of every teenager like me who tried but failed to dance like the dancers on 'Soul Train.' With this donation, it's really clear the Smithsonian just got hip!"