SIGN UP NOW: What today's corporate leaders can learn from McDonald's — and the fight for the franchise

• In the season premiere of Business Insider's "Brought to You By" podcast, host Charlie Herman interviews Marcia Chatelain, author of "Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America" and reporter Kate Taylor about McDonald's efforts to address economic and racial inequality through its franchise model.
• We're continuing the conversation with a roundtable featuring reporters Linette Lopez and Marguerite Ward. They'll take us behind the scenes of their reporting and explore how American businesses can more effectively fight racial injustice.
• Subscribe to receive a notification when the episode and reporter roundtable go live this Wednesday, June 24.

This week, protests over the killing of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor continue across the US. Brands including Ben & Jerry's, Netflix, and Target have spoken out against racial injustice and police violence. Many others are scrambling to release their own statements and implement internal changes in response to employees' calls for more diversity and inclusion.

Fifty years ago, McDonald's faced similar demands in Cleveland, where Black residents pushed for control over the franchise locations in their communities. For many, amid the civil-rights movement, a McDonald's restaurant represented hope of economic opportunity.

Marcia Chatelain is a scholar of African American life and culture and the author of "Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America." To kick off the new season of our "Brought to You By" podcast, Chatelain reflects on what happened in Cleveland 50 years ago and shares to what extent she believes corporations like McDonald's can help address economic inequality.

Plus, Business Insider retail correspondent Kate Taylor shares her original reporting on the difficulties black franchisees face in accessing and profiting from McDonald's restaurants, and what the company has done to respond.

Subscribe to our newsletter for an email notification when the episode goes live, plus an Insider Premium link to a roundtable conversation with host Charlie Herman and Insider reporters Linette Lopez and Marguerite Ward.

They'll discuss what concrete steps corporations can take to fight racial and economic inequality and make changes that last beyond the news cycle, including:

• • Why have past efforts to promote diversity and economic empowerment through business in America failed?
  • How can corporations go beyond statements of support and charitable donations to create lasting change within their organizations?

"Brought to You By" is a narrative podcast from Business Insider hosted by Charlie Herman. You can listen free on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.