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At Chick-fil-A, we know we have a role in moving all of us forward.

ATLANTA (June 3, 2020) – Words are not enough, and they sometimes aren’t the right words, but we want to say something.

Racism should have no place in society. Not now, not ever. It cannot be tolerated.

Our hearts are breaking, for our black Team Members, Operators and Staff and all those in the Black community who are suffering and who have suffered for too long because of racism.

At Chick-fil-A, we know we have a role in moving all of us forward.
We will listen.
We will be intentional.
We will share.

We will act to build bridges — to spread care and hope into our world — today and always.

Dan T. Cathy, Chick-fil-A’s Chairman and CEO, shared his thoughts with staff over the weekend: “This is a time that we must love our neighbors more than we have ever done before, with greater empathy than ever before.”

Dan shared more of his personal reflections on his LinkedIn page. Read his full LinkedIn post below:

“I am tired.” I’ve heard this phrase too many times in my private conversations with black friends and colleagues, in the last 72 hours.

What I have come to understand is that they are tired of the violence, abuse and injustice. They are tired, because no amount of kneeling or marching seems to truly address what has ailed our country for generations: A controverted view of race which is sometimes overt and sometimes subtle but always destructive.

“Use your privilege.” This is another phrase I hear over and over. To whom much is given, much is required.

I recognize that someone like me cannot fully appreciate and understand the gross injustices that are all around us. I also recognize that talking about the systemic inequality, bias, and injustices in our country will draw criticism. But neither of these reasons makes it ok for me to remain silent about the issues that now so publicly confront our nation. The killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and many others is horrifying and merits our outrage. We should also address the disparate impact of COVID-19 on black and brown communities, as well as the disparity in educational opportunities and access to opportunity. Nobody talks about it enough, because this is someone else’s problem. I have observed injustice, inequities and blatant indifference to these real problems.

There are countless academics and analysts who have written about how our democratic capitalism benefits only a few hundred incredibly wealthy families, individuals and corporations, so that the American dream is now reserved almost exclusively for them and their descendants.

Because I am among that demographic, I am calling on them — us — to use our power and influence.

A few years ago, I became bothered that the most distressed zip code in Georgia, right next door to the prosperity of downtown Atlanta, was being left behind. So, I committed to use my own power and influence with policymakers and friends to turn their attention to the inequities happening in our local community. Together, we bolstered our financial investments in the redevelopment of the Westside of Atlanta, the historic home of Dr. King. The work is ongoing. We have opened a Chick-fil-A restaurant on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. in the shadows of Morehouse College. The store is led by owner-operator Quincy Springs, a black Army veteran. We have invested in Morehouse College, Community health clinics; the At-Promise Center which serves at-risk young people helping to guide them into a brighter future; the Hollis Innovation Stem Academy; and housing through Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, we host a gathering every other Friday on the Westside to pray and intentionally plan the equitable re-development and renaissance of that community. It is one of the most diversely represented and action-oriented gatherings in town.

What else might we do? There are several ways we can use our power and influence.

It starts at home. This is where values begin. We must teach our children about leadership, love and justice.
We must use our influence in our own businesses to be responsible capitalists who meet the needs of society.
We must use our influence so that all of our communities can participate in the rising tide of prosperity and hope.
We must have intentional, difficult conversations with co-workers and strangers. We need to be curious to understand the needs of others. It’s ok to say, ‘I’m not sure I’m saying the right things right now.’ A lot of people don’t engage in hard conversations, because they’re afraid they’ll say something wrong. A dialogue is better than no conversation at all.
Despair and hopelessness have always been a part of the human experience. In the book of Nehemiah, found in the Old Testament, we read about the conviction of the cupbearer of the king, who became aware of the plight of his people in Jerusalem. His conviction moved him to action to be a catalyst for the renaissance in his homeland.

The most dangerous person in the world is a person with no hope. Let’s open the door to dialogue and healing.

It’s ok if its messy.

It’s ok if tears are shed.

We are human.

Let’s be moved to action. Let’s join together to build a world that reflects God’s love for all of us.

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Originally posted by az4783054:
I ate there ONCE, it wasn't that special. It won't happen again even if I wanted a shine.

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Originally posted by tleo205:

I have never seen what is so great about them myself.

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Originally posted by 12131:
A similar thread on Chick-fil-A CEO shoe shining the black guy was nuked recently. Just a fyi.

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Originally posted by V-Tail:

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Originally posted by tleo205:

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Compared them to any other fast food restaurant that I have been in, Chick-Fil-A is cleaner, more efficient, much higher probability of getting the order filled correctly, courteous employees.

In just about any category that you can judge a fast food place, Chick-Fil-A stands out, miles ahead of other chains.

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Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:

I have never eaten there, but drive by one around lunch hour. They do a thriving business. They have a right to their beliefs. Once they try shoving them down your throat there is a problem. They did that some with Christianity. They made a big deal here of being closed on Sundays. They then tried to shame some of the other fast food establishments that were open.

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Originally posted by P220 Smudge:

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Originally posted by 12131:
A similar thread on Chick-fil-A CEO shoe shining the black guy was nuked recently. Just a fyi.

Well, too late for me to do anything about it now. Sorry, Para.