McDonalds and Black America

No matter where you go in America, you can always find a McDonald’s. But if you’re in a poor, majority black urban neighborhood, you’re especially likely to have access to Big Macs and McFlurries. This is not because people who live in those places like fast food more, or don’t know how to make healthier choices. It’s because, for decades, McDonald’s intentionally targeted Black neighborhoods -and did it with backing from the federal government and support of prominent Civil Rights leaders. The hope was to bring wealth to Black neighborhoods, but it backfired. Georgetown University historian Marcia Chatelain explains how in her book Franchise: Golden Arches in Black America. (Photo: Joseph Perone / Shutterstock.com)