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This article uses the economic detour theory of enterprise development to assess the origins and development of black-owned advertising agencies in the United States since the World War II era. In light of this concept, key socioeconomic phenomena—racial segregation, desegregation, and multiculturalism—are addressed in terms of their impact on opportunities for and practices among black advertising entrepreneurs. Historical evidence is largely consistent with key principles of the economic detour model. In sum, it appears that a contemporary form of racial separation persists in the advertising business, which serves to constrain entrepreneurial efforts among black and other ethnic minority entrepreneurs in the industry.

This article discusses how a proposed advertising theme created a strategic and public relations dilemma for a team of modern-day marketing executives when viewed in the context of the promotional history of the Aunt Jemima brand. Using collective memory theory as a framework, this article explores alternative perspectives of the brand’s image among black and white consumers in light of a controversial proposed advertising theme. Archival records housed in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History allow for a reconstruction of the executives’ decision scenario, ramifications of the advertising strategy, and a discussion of implications for contemporary practitioners.

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