Author Talk: Mark Robinson, Pitch Black: The Best Black Ads of the Past 50+ Years

About this event

For more than a century, Black Americans appeared in advertising, yet rarely had a voice in creating it. In Pitch Black, veteran advertising executive and Ridgefield resident Mark S. Robinson uncovers the untold history of Black advertising—from the earliest depictions of African Americans in product marketing to the rise of Black-owned agencies and the creative leaders who transformed American culture. Combining historical research, personal storytelling, and a curated collection of landmark advertisements, Robinson examines how advertising reflected America's racial divisions while simultaneously becoming a powerful tool for social change. The book highlights pioneering agencies, influential campaigns, iconic celebrities and breakthrough creative work that helped redefine how Black Americans were represented in media. Books on the Common will have copies for sale and signing. Please register below.