Al Sharpton accuses McDonald’s of racism against Blacks

Civil rights leader Al Sharpton has accused fast-food giant McDonald’s of practicing “racial discrimination” by refusing to advertise in Black media and forcing Black franchise owners to operate in poor, high-crime neighborhoods.

The reverend aired his grievances in a letter he sent Thursday to McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski and shared with the media. In it, Mr. Sharpton pledges to mobilize his National Action Network to boycott the hamburger chain if it does not respond to multiple allegations.

“We unequivocally demand they immediately acknowledge and address these issues or we will begin a national campaign around McDonald’s,” wrote Mr. Sharpton, NAN’s founder and president. “You cannot sell Black folks Big Macs and give us little justice.”

The letter referenced “lawsuits brought by Black franchises” as well as a suit “brought by a Black former executive over racial discrimination from the highest levels.”

Several Black owners of McDonald’s franchises sued the corporation in 2020, claiming executives set them up to fail by placing them in the high-crime neighborhoods. Another lawsuit from the company’s former head of security alleges that Black executives experience multiple incidents of racist and hostile treatment.

“And let’s not forget the $10 billion lawsuit brought by Byron Allen over the fact that Black-owned media did not get its fair share of McDonald’s supersized advertising budgets,” Mr. Sharpton added, referring to a separate pending lawsuit from Mr. Allen, a Black entertainment media mogul.

Mr. Sharpton, who hosts MSNBC’s “Politics Nation,” also claims in his letter that the McDonald’s board of directors forced the “removal” of John Rogers, “a well-respected business leader for the Black community.” The company announced on March 29 the “retirement” of Mr. Rogers and a fellow board member from board service.

The Washington Times has reached out for comment to the Chicago-based corporation, which at more than 38,000 locations in 100 countries is the world’s largest fast-food chain.

McDonald’s has declined in the past to comment on open legal disputes.