Ellis Haizlip

On the heels of the Civil Rights Movement, one fearless black pioneer reconceived a Harlem Renaissance for a new era, ushering giants and rising stars of black American culture onto the national television stage. He was hip. He was smart. He was innovative, political, and gay. In his personal fight for social equality, this man ensured the Revolution would be televised. The man was Ellis Haizlip. The Revolution was soul!

Before Oprah, before Arsenio, there was Mr. SOUL! Mr. SOUL will tell the biographical story of Ellis Haizlip, the producer and host of the groundbreaking television series SOUL! which aired on public television from 1968 to 1973. Once completed, the film will be distributed theatrically and offered to PBS for national broadcast.

SOUL! is a pioneering performance/variety television program produced by New York City PBS affiliate, WNET, broadcast from 1968 to 1973. Showcasing African-American music, dance and literature, it was created and hosted by Ellis Haizlip, an openly gay Black man closely associated with the Black Arts Movement.