Wendy's responds to #WendysIsOverBacklash, as the fast-food chain announces $500,000 donation to support social justice

• Wendy's broke its silence on Twitter after facing backlash centered around a franchisee's donations, announcing the fast-food giant would donate $500,000 to social justice organizations.
• "Our voice would be nothing without Black culture," Wendy's tweeted on Wednesday. "Right now, a lot of people are hurting because of blatant racism against Black people. Their voices need to be heard. Period."
• Wendy's faced backlash after Business Insider reported that a franchisee's CEO who sat on a White House restaurant roundtable had donated more than $440,000 to President Trump's reelection.
• "We never have and will never contribute to a presidential campaign," Wendy's tweeted. "For the record our CEO has always kept that same energy too. Facts."

Wendy's has broken its silence on social media after facing backlash over a franchisee's donations.

"Our voice would be nothing without Black culture," Wendy's tweeted on Wednesday. "Right now, a lot of people are hurting because of blatant racism against Black people. Their voices need to be heard. Period."

The fast-food brand commited to donating $500,000 to social justice and "the youth and education in the Black community," including donating to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

Wendy's added: "We know we have a lot more to do than a donation. We're committed to doing the work and we hear you."

This week, #WendysIsOverParty trended on Twitter as thousands of people tweeted about a franchisee's donations to reelect President Trump.

In May, James Bodenstedt — the CEO of Muy Cos., a franchisee of Wendy's, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut — sat on the White House's roundtable on restaurant industry recover. At the time, Business Insider reported that Bodenstedt had donated more than $440,000 to Trump's campaign, including a $200,000 donation to the Trump Victory PAC in March.

On Wednesday, Wendy's emphasized that neither the company nor its CEO donated to Trump. Bodenstedt is the CEO of an independent franchisee, which owns and operates hundreds of fast-food restaurants — but does not work for Wendy's corporate office.

Wendy's CEO Todd Penegor has not made any donations directly to Trump or other politicians. According to Federal Election Commission filings viewed by Business Insider, Penegor has donated only to the Wendy's Company PAC.

Wendy's PAC has donated to both Republican and Democratic congressional candidates in 2020 elections, according to Open Secrets. The PAC has not donated to any presidential candidate, though it has donated more money to Republicans, including Sens. Mitch McConnell and Susan Collins, than Democrats, such as Reps. Lou Correa and Joyce Beatty.

Penegor posted an open letter on Wendy's blog on Monday in response to the death of George Floyd.

"My family and I spent the weekend talking and are appalled by the loss of George Floyd and the larger societal challenges that face us," Penegor wrote. "I also recognize that my family and I possess a privilege due to the color of our skin that people of color do not have."

"While we empathize and grieve with our Black neighbors, we also know that we do not walk in the same shoes," Penegor continued. "What my family can do, and what all of us in the Wendy's family will do, is to advocate for a future of equality and safety."