I write about the history of Black people in the advertising industry. I’m a passionate advocate for diversity and opportunity in the workplace. I'm a (full) professor in the Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Also, I am the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Media at UIUC.The University of Pennsylvania Press published my first book, Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry in 2008. This penetrating work examined blacks' employment and entrepreneurial experiences in the advertising industry. My second book (co-edited) was entitled Building the Black Metropolis: African American Entrepreneurship in Chicago.My newest book, Advertising Revolutionary: The Life and Work of Tom Burrell, is available now. I graduated from The Ohio State University (Go Bucks!!!). I have presented my research both nationally and internationally. My work has been published in books and both academic and trade journals in the United States, Asia, and Europe. I have been invited to speak to gatherings of practitioners and academics throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia. Additionally, I have appeared on The History Channel, and my opinions have been sought by a variety of media sources, including Advertising Age, Adweek, the British Broadcasting Corporation, CNN, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Huffington Post, the New York Times, National Public Radio, Newsweek, and USA Today. I am also an active campus and organizational leader. I believe in and practice the maxim that no organization can improve without the active participation of of a diverse range of people. In addition, I have served as a consultant with national non-profit organizations, the Toyota corporation, as well as various advertising agencies on matters of multiculturalism, diversity, and other consumer-centric issues.