Ad Exec Tom Burrell on How Society’s “Brainwashed”

Ad Exec Tom Burrell on How Society’s “Brainwashed”

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Advertising magnet Tom Burrell is on a campaign to end what he calls an image of black inferiority  in the media. If you don’t recognize his name, you might know the phrase he coined, “Black people are not dark-skinned white people.” As one of history’s most successful black ad executives, Burrell convinced companies like Coca Cola and McDonald’s that targeting black audiences would be worth their money. Now, he says black communities need to start believing in their own power.

In his new book Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority, Burrell questions why many blacks depend on handouts and why so many black kids show a lack of respect for anything and anyone. He questions how money fails to influence black identity.

Event:
Discussion Panel: Are You Brainwashed; The Marketing of Black Inferiority Tonight at 6
DuSable Museum

Music Button:  Sonny Rollins, “Kids Know”, from the CD Rollins Plays for Bird, (Prestige)