Tanner Colby is an author. His forthcoming book, "Some of My Best Friends Are Black: The Strange Story of Integration in America," will be published in July. Visit him at his website or follow him on Twitter.

In everything from their pop-culture references to their meticulous production design, the creators of Mad Men are famously obsessive about the show’s historical accuracy. So it hardly seems possible they would be faithful in their use of period-appropriate underwear yet flub the entire history of race in advertising. In truth, the show is not only accurate in depicting the racial history of the industry, it is spot on in depicting that history as it relates to a place like Sterling Cooper, which is fundamental to the basic premise of the show....