Books & biography
The people, ideas, and cultural changes behind the advertising industry.
Advertising Revolutionary
The Life and Work of Tom Burrell
Tom Burrell transformed the image of African Americans in advertising.
Over a forty-year career, Chicagoan Tom Burrell and the Burrell Communications Group changed the face of advertising. They revolutionized the industry’s approach to African Americans as human beings and consumers. In this authorized biography, Jason P. Chambers presents a portrait of the groundbreaking creator, entrepreneur, and son of Chicago’s South Side.
Madison Avenue and the Color Line
African Americans in the Advertising Industry
The first comprehensive examination of African American participation in the advertising industry, this book explores the history of Black advertising employees and agency owners.
Building the Black Metropolis
African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago
Coedited with Robert E. Weems Jr.
From Jean Baptiste Point DuSable to Oprah Winfrey, Black entrepreneurship has helped define Chicago. This collection of essays examines the city’s place in African American business history.
Readers on Advertising Revolutionary
“OMG! Jason’s book educated me about Tom and his agency on things that I didn’t even know, and I worked there. However, there’s one thing I needed no education about: if not for Tom and Burrell Communications, I wouldn’t exist in the ad industry and neither would my company. Half of everything I learned about advertising, I learned from my time working at Burrell, and Jason’s book brought it all back to life in full, living, soulful color!”
Jimmy Smith, Chairman, CEO, and CCO of Amusement Park Entertainment
“Jason P. Chambers’s thoughtful and thorough biography of Tom Burrell makes an important contribution to African American business history.”
Robert E. Weems, Jr., author of The Merchant Prince of Black Chicago
“It is a bold and illuminating exploration. . . Chambers has not only written a biography but has also painted a portrait of an era, a movement, and a continued struggle for equity and representation in the commercial world. This book is an essential read for anyone interested in the intersections of media, culture, and social justice, providing a comprehensive and engaging look at a true pioneer whose work continues to influence the advertising industry today.”
Diamond Michael Scott, Black Books + Black Minds
“Chambers’s extensive interviews with his subject illuminate how a corporate trailblazer navigated the changing mores of the post-civil rights era. Business historians and advertising professionals will want to take a look.”
Publishers Weekly
About Jason
Jason P. Chambers is a professor of advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His research explores the history of Black men and women in advertising and the broader media field, and their contributions as creators, professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders. He earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.
He has presented his research throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia, and appeared on The History Channel to discuss advertising history. His work and commentary have reached audiences through Advertising Age, Adweek, Black Enterprise, CNN, Forbes, The Guardian, National Public Radio, The New York Times, Newsweek, and The Washington Post. He has also consulted on advertising history programs for the BBC.
His consulting experience includes advertising agencies, Fortune 100 companies, and national nonprofit organizations, with work on African American history, diversity, stereotyping, and consumer issues.
Start a conversation
For keynote presentations and speaking engagements, contact Washington Speakers Bureau. For media, interview, and research requests, email Jason directly.