Jason P. Chambers is Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Professor of Advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This interview is based on his new book, Advertising Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Tom Burrell (University of Illinois Press, 2024).
JF: What led you to write Advertising Revolutionary?
JC: This book is a follow-up to my first book, Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry. Whereas that book told the broad story of African American participation in the industry, Advertising Revolutionary focuses narrowly on a single individual, Tom Burrell, and his agency. Both works are my contribution to the historiography of advertising in that they’re among the few that detail Black participation in the industry. To the point of my first work (and works published since then) most works on advertising history ignore the Black contribution. This book is my effort to help address that gap.
JF: In 2 sentences, what is the argument of Advertising Revolutionary?
JC: 1. Tom Burrell’s contributions to the advertising industry go beyond his success in selling the products of his clients.
2. Burrell’s depiction of African American life, history, and culture were emulated by other agencies and even television programs.
JF: Why do we need to read Advertising Revolutionary?
JC: Because most works on advertising would have you believe that African Americans have had little to no presence in the industry. That view is reductionist and false. Like other areas of history, historians of advertising have followed the “great white man” approach to the study of the industry. In the process they’ve overlooked the contributions of African Americans, women, and other underrepresented groups. Advertising Revolutionary will help readers challenge the traditional perspective of both the people who have made up the industry as well as its broader social and cultural contributions to the United States.
JF: Why and when did you become an American historian?
JC: I decided to become an American historian in college. My initial intention was to become a high school history teach and track coach. But while in college one of my professors, Dr. Lillian Ashcraft-Eason, encouraged me to pursue graduate school and I followed her advice. She was one of the few African American professors that I had and I had a great deal of respect for her. So, when she suggested an alternate path, I took it.
JF: What is your next project?
JC: My next project is likely another biography. I want to apply the lessons I learned while writing Advertising Revolutionary to another project. My own area of interest is Black entrepreneurship, so it’s likely to be a book about another Black entrepreneur.
JF: Thanks, Jason!