Chick-fil-A has revealed that a viral photo showing employees in pro-police shirts is actually almost five years old.
What’s happening:
- An image showing Chick-fil-A workers wearing blue shirts that read “back the blue” has been circulating on social media in recent weeks as nationwide protests continue against racial injustice, police brutality and the death of George Floyd.
- The photo has inspired comments that Chick-fil-A is racist and the company is supporting police over protesters, Fox News reports.
- But the photo is actually older than you think. According to Reuters, the photo was taken in 2015 by one local Chick-fil-A restaurant that supported a football team in the area.
- A Chick-fil-A representative told Reuters: “The photo is currently being taken out of context, so we apologize for any confusion this has caused.”
- Reuters discovered one report from the time that showed the restaurant sharing support for a local football team and law enforcement.
Chick-fil-A weighs in on the protests
Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy weighed in on the ongoing nation protests with a statement almost a week ago.
- He wrote: “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.”
- He wrote: “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.”