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Franchise

The Golden Arches in Black America

Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
2 of 2 copies available
From civil rights to Ferguson, Franchise reveals the untold history of how fast food became one of the greatest generators of black wealth in America. Often blamed for the rising rates of obesity and diabetes among black Americans, fast food restaurants like McDonald's have long symbolized capitalism's villainous effects on our nation's most vulnerable communities. But how did fast food restaurants so thoroughly saturate black neighborhoods in the first place? In Franchise, acclaimed historian Marcia Chatelain uncovers a surprising history of cooperation among fast food companies, black capitalists, and civil rights leaders, who-in the troubled years after King's assassination-believed they found an economic answer to the problem of racial inequality. With the discourse of social welfare all but evaporated, federal programs under presidents Johnson and Nixon promoted a new vision for racial justice: that the franchising of fast food restaurants, by black citizens in their own neighborhoods, could finally improve the quality of black life. Synthesizing years of research, Franchise tells a troubling success story of an industry that blossomed the very moment a freedom movement began to whither.
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    • AudioFile Magazine
      The author examines the fascinating relationship between franchise companies like McDonald's and black communities across the nation over the past half-century. Machelle Williams gives this rich history a straightforward narration that invites listeners to learn more about the resilience and ingenuity of black communities while also highlighting their struggles with fast food chains. Williams's tempered delivery, with its distant but compelling tone, keeps listeners' focus on Chatelain's words, but this style can sometimes backfire when she delivers heartfelt quotes. By tracing McDonald's history in black communities, Chatelain illuminates the complicated relationships, expectations, and issues that arise among corporations, local government, community leadership, and youth who have limited places to hang out or work. L.E. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

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