Summary of Marcia Chatelain's Franchise

By IRB Media

Get the Summary of Marcia Chatelain's Franchise in 20 minutes. Please note: This is a summary & not the original book. Original book introduction: 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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Dec 8, 2021
• ISBN: 9781669342953

IRB Media

With IRB books, you can get the key takeaways and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience.

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Insights on Marcia Chatelain's Franchise

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The death of Michael Brown sparked protests and a global conversation about American justice. The McDonald’s at 9131 West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Missouri, best represented the interplay between racial justice and the marketplace.

#2

The Ferguson McDonald’s was a target during the protests. It was here that reporters found live electrical outlets to charge their computers and Wi-Fi to send emails to their editors. The McDonald’s is the descendant of a somewhat bizarre but incredibly powerful marriage between a fast-food behemoth and the fight for civil rights.

#3

The United States is the birthplace of some of the world’s most successful fast-food chains, as well as the home of its most enthusiastic eaters. However, these restaurants are hyper-concentrated in black neighborhoods.

#4

While there have been some studies that show how fast food negatively affects the health of all Americans, there has been little reflection on the infrastructure that makes fast food so accessible to African Americans in the first place.

#5

The author recognizes the importance of both individual and structural changes in order for the fast food industry to be able to provide healthier options for all.

#6

The fast food industry grew from the system of franchising, which allows individuals with no experience or training to become business owners. The main ingredient in fast food is the hamburger, which was once considered a low-quality food product designed to nourish laborers.

#7

The first national burger chain, White Castle, was inspired by the Chicago Water Tower. The chain’s success paved the way for other fast food restaurants to expand in small towns across the country.

#8

Franchising is similar to a distorted parent/child relationship. The parent sets the rules and the child pays the household bills.

#9

Franchising promises wealth, but it comes with an unequal power relationship. After fees are paid, the dream of wealth can begin.

#10

The roots of the modern day discussion about fast food and race can be