Rev. Sharpton Urges PepsiCo to Restore DEI Program

Rev. Al Sharpton has given PepsiCo three weeks to meet with him or face a boycott, urging the company to reinstate its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In a letter to CEO Ramon Laguarta, Sharpton expressed his “profound disappointment” over the decision, emphasizing the importance of these commitments in building the brand and fostering customer trust. You can read more about it.

The removal of DEI recruiting and retention targets and the disintegration of community connections with minority organizations are blatant indications that political pressure has trumped principle, Sharpton stated in the letter, saying, “You have walked away from equity.”

 In January, Sharpton, the founder and president of the National Action Network, declared that the civil rights group will boycott two businesses within the following ninety days for breaking their DEI commitments.

According to a PepsiCo representative, the company had not received the letter and could not respond.

 One of the biggest food and beverage corporations in North America is PepsiCo.  Among its brands are Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Doritos, Gatorade, and Lay’s potato chips.

 Laguarta stated that the firm will no longer establish targets for minority participation in its supplier base or managerial positions in a February message to staff members.

U.S. government agencies, businesses, and educational institutions have rushed to review policies and initiatives aimed at boosting diversity among their workforces and decreasing discrimination against women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and members of minority groups since President Donald Trump returned to the White House earlier this year.

 Trump has threatened schools to follow suit or face losing federal funding, and he has terminated DEI initiatives inside the federal government.  Since Trump entered office, major stores like Walmart and Target have likewise gradually discontinued their DEI programs.

The foundation for what is now known as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion movement in the workplace was established in the 1960s by several laws and executive orders that followed decades of agitation and demonstrations by underrepresented groups.  Affirmative action policies were implemented, employee resource groups began to form, and companies started offering diversity training in the 1970s because of the new rules and regulations.  Minorities and women were hired at higher rates as a result.

New research started emphasizing the financial benefit of creating inclusive workplaces by the 1980s.  The emphasis moved from following the law to “creating an environment where everybody feels that they can achieve their highest goal,” according to diversity and organizational development author and strategist Mary-Frances Winters.  “This was really about looking at changing demographics, looking at who was coming into the workforce, and also looking at how people with different backgrounds can lead to greater innovation,” Winters stated.