The impact of commercial marketing on children raises important questions for professionals caring for children. This article explores the role of professionals in education, healthcare, and human service as advocates given the explosive trend in marketing to children. This marketing is designed not only to sell products, but also to influence children's existing and future lifestyles. Trends reflect marketers' growing access to children through various media technologies-television, movies, and the Internet. Mounting empirical, clinical, and anecdotal evidence indicates that immersion in commercial culture can negatively affect childhood. Challenges and opportunities for professionals, who are concerned about the negative impact of marketing on children, with implications for professionals of color, are described In efforts to mobilize for action. The African proverb, It takes a village to raise a is a common and evocative means for arguing the necessity of community involvement in childrearing. Care for children has to extend beyond immediate family boundaries. Children's experiences, beyond families, in neighborhoods and communities, can have a powerful impact on their growth and development. These days, electronic media, an ubiquitous, commercially driven force has transformed the village raising our children. Children are bombarded from morning to night by messages designed not to make their lives better-but for the sole purpose of selling products and services. Most professionals in education, health, and human service have long known that family, peer group, and neighborhood values all influence a child's behavior, growth, and development. Now we have to consider the influences of Madison Avenue and the commercial world as well. The impact of marketing and other commercial influences on children raise important questions for professionals in charge of their care. This article explores the expanding advocacy roles of professionals in education, health care, and human services for children in light of the escalation of marketing to children. First, a brief overview of children's exposure to marketing is presented, including some issues relating specifically to children of color. second, the role of some professionals, namely psychologists, who work in marketing that targets child consumers, is described. Third, recommendations are presented for the roles that professionals can play in protecting children from manipulation by corporate advertising and marketing. Children's Exposure to Marketing The amount of marketing to which children are exposed should not be underestimated. The average American child spends almost 40 hours a week outside of school consuming media, most of which is commercially driven (Roberts, Foehr, Rideout, & Brodie, 1999) and sees more than 40,000 commercials each year on television alone (Kunkel, 2001). Even public broadcast service (PBS) television allows commercials before and after programming. In addition, product placement-advertising that takes place within the context of a program-is common practice in television programs and films. Further, many children's television programs, including those on PBS, are funded through licensing, a practice that allows companies to market toys, clothing, and other products based on characters associated with a program. Children are often alone when they watch television, meaning that no adult is present to help them process the marketing messages permeating the medium. Thirty-two percent (32%) of children ages 2 to 7 have televisions in their bedrooms, as do 65% of children ages 8 to 18 (Roberts et al, 1999), and 26% of children under 2 (Rideout, Vanderwater, & Wartella, 2003). While television is the most prevalent medium in children's lives, their access to the Internet-where the lines between content and marketing can be significantly blurred-is growing (Roberts et al., 1999). There are specific issues relating to poor children and children of color. …