By Tony Jones
MEMPHIS, TN — The “Don’t Be McFooled” protest campaign alleging the McDonald’s Corporation redlines black franchisees is going national.
Slated to hit McDonald’s Atlanta region office Thursday, April 1st, spokesperson Kahari Nash reports a 17-city itinerary has been confirmed for the “rolling protest rally” created to generate support for a class action lawsuit grouping 77 current and former franchisees.
Says Nash, “We intend to shake up the McDonald’s corporate world, and there are ramifications beyond that. We are intent on educating the 186 Black McDonald’s Operators around the country on the economic benefit and protection of being a part of this class action. Every member in the suit has a role.”
The markets will be: New York City; Philadelphia; Washington, DC-Baltimore; Charlotte-Raleigh; Atlanta-Birmingham-Montgomery; Chicago-Milwaukee; Detroit; St. Louis; Houston-Dallas-Shreveport; Louisville-Nashville; Cleveland-Pittsburgh; Cincinnati-Columbus; Las Vegas-Phoenix; Los Angeles; Oakland-San Francisco; New Orleans-Baton Rouge; Miami-Orlando-Jacksonville-Pensacola-Tallahassee.
Nashville has been slated for a HBCU specific role due to its being the home of four well known HBCUs: the American Baptist College, Fisk, Meharry College and Tennessee State University, presumably for Earth Day, but details are not yet finalized.
McDonald’s Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer Reggie Miller has stated, “McDonald’s takes it commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion seriously and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. We are working towards our recent DEI goals and continue to drive equitable opportunity under the Arches. We must go further and remain focused on serious action to accelerate meaningful and overdue societal change.”
