“It was a beautiful, pleasant surprise,” Chatelain said, “and an opportunity to reflect on how grateful you are for the people who have supported you and can celebrate with you.”įollowing the 2015 publication of her debut book, “South Side Girls: Growing Up in the Great Migration,” Chatelain’s “Franchise” offers an illuminating exploration of the complex relationship between McDonald’s and African-American communities. While her initial reaction may have been of disbelief for such incredible success, it was also an exhilarating, deeply meaningful moment of recognition that Chatelain felt immensely proud of and grateful for. With the country just beginning to emerge from the pandemic, the process of receiving the award has remained entirely virtual, making the experience all the more surreal, she added. Who thinks that (they’re) going to win a Pulitzer prize? It was just so weird,” Chatelain recounted with a smile. On Friday June 11, while feeding her infant son a bottle, Brown University alum and Georgetown University professor Marcia Chatelain PhD ’08 found out via Twitter that she had become a Pulitzer Prize winner in History for her second book, “Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America.” Chatelain has become the second-ever African American woman to claim the award in the History category.

Franchise by marcia chatelain