Herbert Washington, a black owner of 14 McDonald’s franchises, claims that the company has shown more favorable treatment to white owners. Furthermore, Washington's claims assert that the company denied him the opportunity to buy restaurants in more affluent communities. Washington filed a civil rights lawsuit in Youngstown on Tuesday afternoon. According to the lawsuit, the number of Black McDonald’s franchise owners in the U.S. has fallen from 377 in 1998 to 186 today.
See "Franchise Owner Sues McDonald's Citing Persistent Racial Bias", MARK GILLISPIE, Associated Press, February 17, 2021