• News

by Daniel Johnson

October 22, 2024

Marion Barry’s Widow Calls Out Pizza Chain Over ‘Racist’ Rollout Of Marion Berry Knots

Cora Masters Barry described the pizza chain’s addition to its menu as 'racist and disrespectful' in her remarks.

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Cora Masters Barry, the widow of the late former mayor of Washington D.C., Marion Barry, took aim at the pizza chain &pizza after the restaurant named a new dessert offering Marion Berry Knots.

Masters Barry described the pizza chain’s dessert as “racist and disrespectful” in her remarks to DC News Now.“ I just think it’s racist. In this city, it is outrageously racist. You can print that. It’s racist and disrespectful,” she said.

The pizza chain’s press release announcing the dessert appears to make pointed references to drugs in its rollout.

Mayor Marion Barry was infamously mocked and derided by quite a few comedians after he was caught on camera smoking crack cocaine, but society has progressed past a juvenile understanding of drug use in the decades since.

Barry also bristled at these depictions himself, telling The New York Times after a 1997 Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Rudy Guliani, Jim Brewer, and Tracy Morgan aired, “I think the part about me and Giuliani was just despicable—-the implication had to do with drugs; the person playing me was rubbing his nose. As a fellow mayor, [Giuliani] participated in extreme character assassination. I’ve been clean over seven and a half years, and I’ve been an inspiration to a lot of the recovering community…When they gave Giuliani those lines, he should have just refused to say them.”

As his widow did with the pizza chain, Barry also took offense to racist undertones he believed were present in the skit.

“There were racial overtones. The guy had a beeper, trying to sell a bicycle. They would not have done a white mayor — a famous white person — that way. They low-downed it,” Barry told the paper.

The pizza chain describes the Marion Berry Knots as follows: “For a good time, it’s the powder that’s the ultimate headline grabber. The Marion Berry Knots have enough powdered sugar that will have customers bumping elbows to order and even force the DEA to look twice.”

It’s not just the words that brought the scrutiny of Masters Barry and some residents of Washington D.C., but the accompanying pictures as well.

In one photo, the knots are arranged alongside a small pile of white powder, seemingly in reference to how someone snorting cocaine would arrange cocaine in its powder form.

As Clarine Thomas, a resident of Southeast D.C., told DC News Now, “I think this is definitely in very, very poor taste. And it does not represent what we stand for, especially not in this community. So very, very disappointed. It’s gonna make me rethink even buying something here.”

Thomas continued, “Being a pillar here in our community, we want partners in our community that are going to help to make things better, not make light and make fun of something that’s really serious, like substance abuse.”

Joining Thomas and Masters Barry in criticizing the pizza chain’s dessert was David Dobbs Jr., who told the outlet, “The reason why we go to Pizza Hut or any other pizza place is because we see the pizza and the cheese, but now we have messages like that are suggesting drugs. Absolutely insane.”

RELATED CONTENT: TMZ’s Marion Barry Headline Sparks Change.Org Petition

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

October 22, 2024

Mane Hook-Up 2.0 Platform Relaunches To Connect Textured Hair Clients With Trusted Stylists

Get all the information you need about your textured hair stylist ahead of time with the redesigned and improved Mane Hook-Up 2.0.

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Individuals in the textured hair community can reconnect with each other as Mane Hook-Up has relaunched its platform to link trusted professional hair stylists and customers through a redesigned and improved booking experience.

Mane Hook-Up’s newly developed platform ensures customers can find trustworthy professionals to care for their hair with innovative tools for stylists to share important information and manage bookings. “Trust is what it really boils down to when people are booking a hair appointment,” says Mane Hook-Up Founder Jade Buffong in a press release. Mane Hook-Up 2.0 plans to answer the main question at hand for customers — “Can I trust you to look after my hair?”

To assure clients that they are in good hands, the new platform allows textured hair stylists to build profiles for customers to view before booking appointments. Stylist profiles give clients a rundown of their qualifications, years of experience, specialties, and location. Customers searching for a textured hair expert can even read through reviews, one of the perks Buffong says will allow them to “make a well-informed decision before they book.”

Buffong embarked on her journey to make hassle-free textured hair connections after transitioning from relaxed to natural hair in 2018. According to her website, Mane Hook-Up was her effort to solve what she believes is an “ongoing problem” in the textured hair community. Her goal with the platform was to ensure the textured hair community was no longer overlooked and neglected in the beauty space. “We’ve worked hard to create a platform that makes those textured hair connections easier,” Buffong states.

Presently, Mane Hook-Up serves clients and stylists in London and New York City. However, Buffong plans to expand the platform to the textured hair community across the U.S. For now, non-local hair enthusiasts can stay educated and keep up with interviews from hair experts on the Mane Hook-Up YouTube channel.

Celebrate the launch of Mane Hook-Up 2.0 as the platform gives back to the community through its launch competition. The competition is for hair stylists who serve clients with textured hair. Stylists who book clients within the first month will be entered to win a prize. One winner in New York and one in London will be rewarded with a spa day.

Mane Hook-Up 2.0 launched on Oct. 21.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Women In London Push For Emojis That ‘Normalize Our Hair’ And Represent Diverse Hairstyles

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

October 22, 2024

Former Detroit Nonprofit CFO Evades Guilty Plea In the Middle Of Court Hearing 

Hopefully all that money will be returned soon!

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Associated Press reports that legal representatives for the former CFO of Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, William Smith, abruptly postponed his guilty plea during a court hearing on Oct. 21. 

Smith, who controlled the finances of the prominent nonprofit, is accused of stealing more than $40 million. Prior to his lawyers’ announcement, Smith told a judge that he was prepared to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering, resulting in a potential sentence of more than 15 years. However, after a private discussion between prosecutors and the defense during a brief recess, Smith’s attorney, Gerald Evelyn, said the team needed more time, without cause nor a new court date. 

Following the end of the hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Neal said Smith and his lawyers agreed to the minimum loss being $44.3 million but admitted the possibility of it being “higher.” 

The 52-year-old was arrested in June 2024 after investigators alleged he consistently used money from Riverfront to fund credit card bills for travel, hotels, limousines, clothes, jewelry, and household items. U.S. Attorney Dawn Ison labeled the extent of the fraud as “astonishing in scale.”

The mission of Riverfront is to transform the shores alongside the Detroit River into a recreational place, including green spaces, plazas, and pavilions. The prestigious organization has a board of directors comprising some of Michiagn’s top business and government personnel. According to the Detroit Free Press, CEO Ryan Sullivan said he is disappointed in the change of the guilty plea. “We are disappointed that today did not meet our expectations of a guilty plea, and we look forward to this being resolved in the near future,” Sullivan said in a statement. 

“All of us at the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy are thankful to the United States Attorney’s Office for their continued efforts in investigating and prosecuting this case.” 

The funds were allegedly stolen funds between November 2012 through May 2024. Smith is accused of transferring conservancy funds from the group’s Comerica Bank account to an account in the name of The Joseph Group & Associates LLC, a company owned and controlled by Smith himself.

While Smith is unemployed after the embezzlement scandal, he worked for the conservancy for 18 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in finance. If the disgraced CFO is convicted of the charges, he may have to pay fines of $250,000 and $500,000 and stay in jail for 20 years. 

A civil lawsuit was also filed against Smith, his family members, and a friend — as they were recipients of the alleged embezzled items. The suit, filed in July 2024, is an attempt to recoup the millions allegedly stolen by Smith.

RELATED CONTENT: Kentucky College Student Pleads Guilty For Saying N-Word In Viral Video

• Politics

by Daniel Johnson

October 22, 2024

Trump Pushes More Lies At Bronx Barbershop Appearance

Inside the barbershop, when asked by a potential voter what his plan was to fix schools in the Bronx, Trump launched into an unhinged rant about getting rid of the Department of Education and a transphobic diatribe.

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On Oct. 17, former President Donald Trump visited King of Knockouts barbershop in The Bronx and spoke with barbers and customers inside the shop. According to Javiel Rodriguez, the barbershop’s owner, the appearance took a few days to coordinate.

According to Newsweek, barbers inside the shop wore “Make Barbers Great Again” shirts, a riff on Trump’s 2016 campaign slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

According to the outlet, Trump supporters said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that his appearance at the barbershop means that he is a man of the people.

One account, in particular, claimed Trump went to a Black barbershop, but that claim was swiftly debunked via a community note that clarified that Rodriguez owned the shop.

Inside the barbershop, when asked by a potential voter what his plan was to fix schools in The Bronx, Trump launched into a rant about getting rid of the Department of Education at the state level as well as a transphobic diatribe.

“Well, we’re moving them back from Washington, where you have people who don’t care about New York, frankly,” Trump said.

Trump also claimed that “half the buildings” in Washington D.C. were federal buildings, and he intended to cut it to “one person and a secretary to just make sure they’re teaching English.”

After that statement, Trump continued to make wild claims.

“No transgender, no operations, you know they take your kid. There are some places. Your boy leaves for school, comes back a girl, OK? Without parental consent. What is that all about? And they talk about a threat to democracy; they’re a threat,” Trump said.

Trump continued, “Without parental consent. And first, when I was told that was actually happening, I said, ‘You know it’s an exaggeration.’ No, it happens; there are areas where it happens. We’re not going to let it happen,” Trump asserted.

According to The New Republic, although the former president has attempted to distance himself from Project 2025, his remarks are congruent with what the document outlines about LGBTQ+ people and the Department of Education.

The outlet also pointed out that Trump’s remarks are false claims, as there are no schools anywhere that give free, clandestine sex change operations to children.

As Steve Benen, a producer for The Rachel Maddow Show, posited in an op-ed for MSNBC, Trump’s attacks on the education system and transgender people are intimately connected. The former president has repeatedly threatened to eliminate funding for schools that recognize students as the gender they identify as.

He has also said that schools that teach American history as it occurred but don’t meet the approval of conservatives shouldn’t receive funding.

A recent post from Oklahoma’s Department of Education on X highlights the kind of education conservatives approve of.

Spoiler alert: it’s miseducation at best, state-sponsored propaganda at worst.

The post received instant criticism regarding misrepresentations crafted by PragerU regarding American and world history.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, PragerU can be described as an alt-right content mill.

According to Franchesca Tripoli, a sociologist who studied the platform and published “Searching for Alternative Facts: Analyzing Scriptural Inference in Conservative News Practices,” an academic report, “PragerU gets people questioning and looking for more information, and if nothing else, it is very blatantly algorithmically connected” to alt-right content present on YouTube.

Tripoli concluded, “Content creators like PragerU are not only exploiting the practices of scriptural inference but also relying on search engine optimization and suggested content to elevate their messaging…However, their choice of guests and underlying messaging demonstrates how this cross-promotion of ideas and influencers creates both an algorithmic and cultural connection between conservative ideology and ‘alt-right’ terminology.”

RELATED CONTENT: Trump Says He Will Withhold Federal Funds From Schools That Teach The 1619 Project

• Women

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 22, 2024

‘Survivors For Kamala’ Takes Out Full-Page NY Times Ad About Donald Trump’s History Of Sexual Misconduct

The "Survivor for Kamala" coalition wants Americans to remember Donald Trump's history of sexual abuse.

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Donald Trump’s history of sexual misconduct is being amplified through a full-page New York Times ad organized by the “Survivors for Kamala” coalition.

More than 200 survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, along with their allies from across the political spectrum—including celebrities, advocates, and seven of Trump’s accusers—have signed a letter endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris. The group published a full-page ad in The New York Times to remind Americans that the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, is a legally recognized abuser, a press release revealed.

The letter was signed by survivors and allies, including Natasha Stoynoff, Samantha Holvey, Anita Hill, Hadley Duvall, Alva Johnson, Tarana Burke, Padma Lakshmi, Viola Davis, and Busy Philipps. Supporters also include survivors who spoke out against Rep. Jim Jordan and organizations such as The National Women’s Law Center Action Fund, Survivors in Action, Survivors 4 Harris, Care in Action, Survivor Justice Action, and more.

Activist and Me Too movement creator Tarana Burke was one of many speakers during a Zoom call on Oct. 21 that raised their voices in solidarity and action. Burke took to Instagram to amplify the ad and provide insight into the coalition’s mission.

“Today, survivors of sexual and gender-based violence from across the country came together to make it clear that a Trump presidency is dangerous and specifically further endangers the lives of so many of us who have already endured enormous traumas,” she wrote in her caption.

“With just about two weeks away from the election, we wanted to be clear what’s at stake for those of us living with the reality of sexual and gender-based violence day in and day out.”

Former New York state Sen. Alessandra Biaggi expressed her pride in signing the letter in a tweet highlighting the signees and website where supporters could learn more.

The ad represents a bipartisan effort uniting progressives, liberals, and Republicans, all condemning the former president’s history of sexual violence and publicly holding Trump accountable in a major publication.

“A second Trump term would pose multiple dangers to our democracy—not least of which is the dangerous daily message it would send, through his presence and his policies, that sexual violence or abuse of any kind is normal, unavoidable, and something the American people should accept,” the letter says in part.

At least 26 women have publicly accused Trump of crimes ranging from assault to rape. In 2023, a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing advice columnist E. Jean Carroll in 1996.

RELATED CONTENT: Why Donald Trump’s Random McDonald’s Stunt Failed To Affect His Campaign 

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

October 22, 2024

U.S. First Black Woman-Owned Sneaker Boutique, Premium Goods, Designs Newest Adidas Sneaker

Jennifer Ford's Premium Goods and adidas will release a limited-edition PG X CAMPUS ‘00 sneaker to honor Houston car culture.

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Premium Goods owner Jennifer Ford is the first Black woman to own a sneaker boutique in the U.S., and she’s holding it down for Houstonian sneakerheads as she continues to expand her Texas-based boutique and embarks on her latest partnership with adidas.

The Houston, Texas native launched Premium Goods in October 2004 after graduating from Emory University with an economics degree and pursuing her passion for retail and women’s product development in New York. Premium Goods is the first independent sneaker boutique in Texas. As a longtime sneakerhead who brought the boutique shop experience to Houstonians 20 years ago, Ford dedicates her designs to honor Houston culture at its finest. As previously mentioned by BLACK ENTERPRISE, she opened her Premium Goods location as an extension of a friend’s original Premium Goods store in Brooklyn.

Ford’s Rice Village boutique is recognized by local artists, designers, and athletes as a go-to spot to snag some of the most stylish sneakers on the market. Now, she’s added a new release date to her Premium Goods lineup. Her latest partnership with adidas Cornerstone Community approaches the launch of a limited-edition PG X CAMPUS ‘00 sneaker in honor of Houston’s distinctive car culture. According to a press release sent to BE, the Premium Goods founder and her team were tapped by adidas to collaborate on creating the Campus ‘00 silhouette. The PG X CAMPUS ‘00 was brought to life with a car show at The Asylum Car Garage on Oct. 19. Car enthusiasts and Houstonians gathered to enjoy a showcase of vehicles curated by the Premium Goods team.

Attendees got first dibs on the sneaker, which has a cracked leather upper to represent that every whip isn’t “polished and pristine.” The design also features a hidden pocket to reflect the concept of a glove compartment. “Each detail of the footwear is a bold expression of Houston car culture’s grit, ingenuity, and determination,” the press release states.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by premiumgoodshtx (@premiumgoodshtx)

Premium Goods and adidas unveiled the CAMPUS ‘00 silhouette in a two-part ad titled “Blood, Sweat, & Gears.” The partnership expands on adidas’ commitment to supporting BIPOC-serving retailers. The new release is “dedicated to all the gearheads” and encourages car enthusiasts to “conquer every turn” and “get to the finish line.”

The PG X CAMPUS ‘00 will be available to the general public on Oct. 24 in-store and online for $130.00. According to Ford’s LinkedIn, her position as one of the few Black women in the industry has inspired her to support her community and empower other women and minorities as they achieve their own goals. AfroTech noted that a portion of the limited-edition PG X CAMPUS ‘00 sneaker proceeds will go toward Dekaney High School’s Auto Tech Program.

Sneaker lovers can also check out other brands featured at Premium Goods, like Nike, Converse, New Balance, and others. Ford’s team also has stylish selections for kids through Premiumkids, a children’s store Ford’s team launched in 2010.

RELATED CONTENT: Silhouette Sneakers & Art Founder Venita Cooper Uses AI To Find Best Sneaker Prices

• Health and Wellness

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 22, 2024

Black Medical Student Creates New Kid’s Show Inspiring Youth To Pursue Medical Careers

The show's intentions are toward increasing diversity in the medical field.

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A Black medical student-turned-content creator has developed a new animated children’s show to inspire diverse youth interested in medicine.

Joel Bervell remains well known on the internet as the “Medical Mythbuster.” As he continues his mission of uplifting diversity in medicine, he will now do so in his new kid’s program, The Doctor Is In.

Bervell aims to teach children about opportunities in the medical field while encouraging them to pursue this career path. Bervell shared his intention for the project, as well as a Kickstarter fundraiser, to social media in September.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joel Bervell (@joelbervell)

“I’m building an animated digital TV show to inspire the next generation of medical professionals, and I need your help,” explained the Ghanaian-American influencer. “For the past few years, I’ve been working on a project I wish I had growing up: *The Doctor Is In!* It’s a mixed live-action/animated series for kids aged 3-5, where Leland, a 5-year-old boy who loves going to the doctor’s office, and I explore medical topics with the help of Sammie the Stethoscope, Zada the X-ray, and Otto the Bag.”

The show will focus on a five-year-old Black boy named Little Leland. His curiosity surrounding medicine will lead him to explore new aspects of the field, including infections, parts of the body, and more. The show will teach science through animation and mixed reality to provide an educational yet immersive show for children of all backgrounds to enjoy.

The show also includes other characters, such as “Zada,” an x-ray machine, “Sammie” the stethoscope, and “Otto,” a doctor handbag. Together, they help Little Leland uncover more about the body and health in general.

The show hopes to help remedy a systemic problem with diversity in the medical field. The Association of American Medical Colleges’ 2022 Physician Specialty Data Report revealed only 5.7% of doctors identify as Black. While the number of Black medical students has also grown, they still only account for 10% of their entire U.S. cohort.

Currently, Bervell has a Kickstarter in place to raise money for the show’s production. Thus far, they have reached over 20% of their $60K goal, with a deadline of Oct. 31.

RELATED CONTENT: BLACK MEN IN WHITE COATS OFFERS BLACK CHILDREN REPRESENTATION IN MEDICINE

• News

by Daniel Johnson

October 22, 2024

Juventus Duorinaah Becomes First Deaf Lawyer In Ghana’s History

Duorinaah wants to use his legal career to advance better protection for individuals who are deaf in Ghana

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Juventus Duorinaah, a longtime advocate for Ghana’s deaf community, became the country’s first deaf lawyer, as reported by Ghana Web.

According to their report, Duorinaah began his journey towards becoming a lawyer after completing his studies at the Senior High Technical School for the Deaf in 2007.

Duorinaah enrolled at the University of Ghana, which awarded him degrees in Sociology and Political Science, which he used to springboard to the United Kingdom’s Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics, where he earned his Master of Laws in Human Rights Law.

Following this, Duorinaah returned to his native Ghana, where he enrolled in the Master of Laws program at the University of Ghana.

After completing his studies there, he studied at the Ghana School of Law for six years before passing his entrance exam.

According to Deaf Legal Advocacy Worldwide, Duorinaah is also the Director of the Ghana National Association for the Deaf, where he supervises the implementation of advocacy projects intended to foster greater inclusion of deaf individuals in Ghanaian society. They noted that Duorinaah wants to use his legal career to advance better protection for individuals who are deaf in Ghana.

According to Dennislaw News, Duorinaah joined 777 new lawyers who were called to Ghana’s Bar on Oct 11, which made him the first deaf lawyer in the country’s long history.

As reported by Al Jazeera in 2018, the work of Duorinaah is necessary in a country that has long marginalized its deaf citizenry.

According to Issac Atah, who heads the State School for the Deaf, located in eastern Accra, this is not helped by the attitudes of some parents of deaf children.

“Parents and relatives expect the school to freely provide all services and goods, even when the children are at home during holiday breaks,” Atah said. “They want us to take full responsibility for their children, both financially and in their education, while instead, they should proactively try to learn sign language and guide their children into the working society.”

Obed Deki, a 23-year-old student at the school told the outlet that unless he is around other deaf people, he feels lonely.

“At home, I generally feel lonely,” Dekyi said. “There is no one able to communicate with me. Besides, there are no other deaf children to reach out to for a conversation or a game.”

Dekyi continued, “My father and mother don’t understand sign language, which constantly results in miscommunication. When I try to express myself, they frequently call me ‘stubborn’ and punish me for my behavior. As a result, sharing my adventures with them is rather difficult.”

According to Josephine Nkrumah, the chair of the Ghanaian government’s National Commission for Civic Education, “In order to treat people with hearing disabilities as equal citizens, we need to make access to justice free from all obstacles, whether these are laws, practices or infrastructure.”

Nkrumah continued, “For instance, if a deaf citizen goes to court, but no interpreter of sign language is provided during the process, the citizen has been denied access to justice due to the absence of effective communication or information,” Nkrumah said, “and similar obstacles are seen in public offices, police stations, and hospitals.”

Atah concurred with Nkrumah, as he told Al Jazeera, “In order to counter isolation and advocate for equal rights for the deaf, the government should provide basic education on sign language at regular schools around the country.”

Atah continued, “Additionally, interpreters should be available at public offices and government institutions at all times. Only by those means the lack of communication and isolated lives of deaf people can be countered.”

RELATED CONTENT: Ghana’s Parliament Passes Controversial Rigid Anti-Homosexuality Bill

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 22, 2024

HBCU Football Coach Issues Warning For Players Participating In Homecoming Activities

Alonzo Hampton said, 'Anybody that’s found out doing anything that’s not conducive to us winning this football game, they ain’t going to be here.'

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Although homecomings are very joyous events that welcome back alumni and celebrate the spirit of the school, one HBCU football coach does not see that as an excuse not to focus on the team’s upcoming contest.

According to HBCU Game Day, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB) head coach Alonzo Hampton made it clear that instead of enjoying the festivities that come along with homecoming, he needs his team to focus on the upcoming task at hand, winning a football game. Specifically after a recent loss to Grambling State University.

“Homecoming is for the alumni and students, but our job is to perform,” Hampton stated during a recent SWAC weekly coaches call.

UAPB lost the last game by a score of 31-21. The loss dropped their record to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in their division. They are engaged in a three-way tie in the SWAC West, where they are only one game above the team with the worst record in the division. Their next match is against Mississippi Valley, who has yet to win a game this season. Mississippi Valley is riding a seven-game losing streak.

Hampton wants the team to concentrate on their next game instead of taking part in the tradition of homecoming.

“I don’t know how they could be distracted. I mean, we just lost a game, and we’re trying to build a program,” Hampton said. “Winning teams don’t get concerned with homecoming. You got to keep the main thing, the main thing. The main thing is you got to come back to practice correct the errors that you made on Saturday. And we got to stay focused.”

The coach did have a stern warning for the players who are not on the same program as he is on.

“Anybody that’s found out doing anything that’s not conducive to us winning this football game, they ain’t going to be here,” he said.

RELATED CONTENT: NFL Coach Jennifer King To Speak About Her Journey At Cornell University’s ‘Breaking Barriers’

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

October 22, 2024

Why Donald Trump’s Random McDonald’s Stunt Failed To Affect His Campaign 

He tried it....

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Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attempted to garner traction with a stunt in which he portrayed a fry cooker at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, but it failed, CNN reports.

Trump pushed the publicity stunt at a Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, location on Oct. 20 to upstage Vice President Kamala Harris, who, while on the campaign trail, has proudly boasted about working at a McDonald’s during her college years. However, the fast food conglomerate had nothing to do with Trump’s random appearance. McDonald’s operates on a franchise model, meaning most of the Golden Arches locations are independently owned and operated. 

Owners are required to abide by specific guidelines tied to their agreements with the parent company, and the locations are open to invite political candidates to serve fries without McDonald’s consent. 

The company released a statement reiterating its nonpartisan stance. However, it emphasized how McDonald’s has been a staple of the American way of life for decades. “As we’ve seen, our brand has been a fixture of conversation this election cycle. While we’ve not sought this, it’s a testament to how much McDonald’s resonates with so many Americans,” the statement read, signed by the entire US senior leadership team, including President Joe Erlinger.

“McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office, and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue –- we are golden.”

While Trump may have thought he pulled off the ultimate stunt for American voters just a few weeks shy of Election Day, he continued to evade several questions that concern McDonald’s consumers, including whether he would support an increase in the minimum wage and his policy for the working class, according to The New Republic. This is unlike Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who outlined an extensive economic policy. 

However, franchise owner and operator Derek Giacomantonio said he and his team welcomed the Trump campaign with open arms, aligned with their values. “He was proud to highlight how he and his team serve their local community and make delicious food, like our World-Famous French Fries,” Giacomantonio said. “Upon learning of the former President’s request, we approached it through the lens of one of our core values: we open our doors to everyone.”

Not everyone was keen on Trump’s stunt, including several employees and customers who criticized the decision. On social media, the former president was called out after a sign posted at McDonald’s proved that the indicted businessman wouldn’t really be cooking for the general public as the restaurant was closed until 4 p.m. 

This wouldn’t be the first time a McDonald’s franchise was caught up in political turmoil. Following the attacks from Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, an operator in Israel offered discounts to soldiers and security forces. Once the move made its way to social media, customers boycotted McDonald’s in Muslim-dominated countries, resulting in a massive decrease in its earnings.

RELATED CONTENT: Twitter Reacts to Candace Owens Being Snubbed As Speaker For Republican National Convention