Drive-Thru America: A Culinary History of the Fast Food Industry and How It Shapes Our Lives
Marcia Chatelain is Associate Professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University. The author of South Side Girls: Growing up in the Great Migration, Chatelain is a public voice on the history of African American children, race in America, as well as social movements. She has been quoted in articles in the New York Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Washington Post, and has appeared on local television and national outlets including C-SPAN, MSNBC, CNN, BBC-America, and PBS. In 2016, Chatelain was named a “Top Influencer in Higher Education,” by the Chronicle of Higher Education. She is currently the Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, D.C.
Overview
Winner, Pulitzer Prize for History June 2021
The History of American Fast Food
From the early days of the White Castle slider to the Chipotle burrito, Americans adore fast food. Fast food is about more than just a quick bite; fast food history helps us understand the transformations in the way we eat, work, and live. In this presentation, historian Marcia Chatelain, author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, will take you through more than a century of business innovation, changing palates, and hours of commercials. Fast food provides a lens for understanding what we value and how we savor it. Join in the conversation if you have an appetite for learning more about your favorite roadside stops, jingles, and French fries.