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One Year
1990: Mandrake the Magician
Nov 30, 2023
A middle-aged single dad in Chicago becomes an anti-tobacco vigilante, whitewashing cigarette billboards in Black communities. Targeted marketing towards black neighborhoods, Henry Brown's mission with Gwen, and his inspiration from Mandrake. Activism, arrests, and a call from the White House.
50:46
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Quick takeaways
- Mandrake the Magician, an alter ego of a middle-aged court reporter, whitewashes cigarette billboards in Black communities to combat tobacco advertising.
- Mandrake's activism brings attention to the racial targeting of black youth by tobacco companies, leading to a nationwide conversation and legal actions against the industry.
Deep dives
Henry Brown becomes Mandrake, an anti-tobacco vigilante
Henry Brown, a middle-aged court reporter, witnesses the prevalence of cigarette billboards targeting the Black community and decides to take action. He starts whitewashing these billboards, making them disappear from the community. Adopting the alter ego Mandrake, he goes public with his activism, appearing on TV, radio shows, and getting national attention. Mandrake's actions inspire others across the country to join the fight against tobacco advertising. Despite facing criticism and the spotlight shifting to other activists, Mandrake remains dedicated to his cause, believing that the fight against tobacco marketing needs to be led by people within the affected communities.
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