American Soul tells the story of Don Cornelius, "his Soul Train dancers, crew and musicians in a cutthroat Hollywood in the 1970s and how they worked, played, rose and fell against the backdrop of the show that was most responsible for the way African-American culture was perceived by the world then."
The first season takes place between the first two seasons of Soul Train between 1971 and 1973. The second season jumps ahead two years later in 1975.