Salem Academy And College To Host Author And Historian Marcia Chatelain
Salem Academy and College, in partnership with Bookmarks, will present author and historian Marcia Chatelain, Ph.D. for a discussion about her Pulitzer-Prize winning book, “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America,” on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. Chatelain’s talk, which is entitled “From the Franchise to a Franchise: What Fast Food Can Teach Us About Justice,” is free and open to the public and will take place in Shirley Auditorium, located in the Salem Academy and College Elberson Fine Arts Center. A reception and book signing will follow the book discussion. Copies of her book will be available for sale by Bookmarks at the event.
“From the Franchise to a Franchise: What Fast Food Can Teach Us About Justice” will engage the dilemmas faced by racial justice advocates in the aftermath of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. As activists grieved the loss of the civil rights leaders and individuals and communities had to grapple with the direction and future of Movement actions, the nation was increasingly looking to private business for answers. Could new businesses solve old and lingering problems? Could McDonald’s be trusted to transform communities? Could the benefits of economic development projects outweigh the negative impact of fast food? All these questions have challenged and continue to challenge people who are hungering for change. In a discussion of her most recent book “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America,” Dr. Marcia Chatelain ponders these and other questions.
The February 23 event is being co-sponsored by Salem Academy and College’s Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, The Engaging Ethics QEP and The Black Student Union.