Posted on 04/17/2025 1:09:57 PM PDT by nickcarraway
*PepsiCo has come under scrutiny after scaling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, a move that reflects a broader trend among major U.S. companies.
Earlier this year, the company announced it would eliminate DEI workforce representation goals and phase out its five-year DEI plan, replacing it with a new “Inclusion for Growth” strategy, The Street reports. PepsiCo said it would broaden its supplier base to support all small businesses, stop conducting surveys focused on single demographic categories, and evaluate sponsorships based on their impact on overall business growth. This change follows President Donald Trump’s executive order banning federal DEI programs, calling them “illegal and immoral discrimination.”
Civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton opposed PepsiCo’s decision. In an April 4 letter to CEO Ramon Laguarta, Sharpton accused the company of prioritizing “political pressure” over “principle” and “walking away from equity.” He also criticized PepsiCo for breaking off community partnerships with minority-focused organizations and threatened a boycott led by his group, the National Action Network.
Following the backlash, PepsiCo agreed to meet with Sharpton and NAN representatives. “It was a constructive conversation,” Sharpton said in a statement on X after the meeting, which included Laguarta and PepsiCo North America CEO Steven Williams. He noted that further talks are planned and that NAN will decide soon whether to proceed with the boycott.
“This morning, I and several members of NAN met with PepsiCo Chairman Ramon Laguarta and CEO of PepsiCo North America Steven Williams for more than an hour to discuss our grievances over reports they were rolling back nearly $500 million in DEI commitments,” said Sharpton in the statement. “It was a constructive conversation, which PepsiCo agreed to hold within the 21 days we gave them to meet. We agreed to follow-up meetings within the next few days.”
Donald Trump is anti-DEI - via Grok AI Donald Trump is anti-DEI – via Grok AI The controversy comes as PepsiCo faces declining U.S. sales. According to The Street, in Q4 2024, the company reported a 0.2% drop in net revenue. Frito-Lay volumes were down 3%, Quaker Foods dropped 6%, and beverage volumes also fell by 3%. CEO Laguarta and CFO Jamie Caulfield attributed the downturn to inflation, higher borrowing costs, and increased dining out.
The company’s DEI rollback and consumer challenges signal a complex moment for the brand as it navigates public perception and shifting market dynamics.
I already boycott pepsi. Coke is better
~ Al Sharpton
If Al Sharpton is against it, I know I’m probably for it.
You’ve got a lot to live, Pepsi’s got a lot to give.
The former President of Hampton University , William R. Harvey, owns a Pepsi Bottling Company franchise , the first black to do so. He purchased it in 1986.
Is Roger Stones still his campaign manager?
Pepsi doesn’t need to worry.
They will cloak the inability to use food stamps as part of their boycott - they don’t spend their own money on soft drinks anyway.
Source: I see kids standing in line at Walmart with soft drinks, candy bars and chips in their hands and the parent uses a SNAP card to pay for it.
I love Coke but will slip in a Pepsi now and then.
Why do people still drink soda?
Agreed.
More of a Cheerwine and Dr. Pepper guy.
If you can look up The Norm Macdonald stand up routine where he talks about trying to order Coke when they only have Pepsi.
Hmm, I thought that ilk was into Sprite.
Al Sharpton has always been an evil man. He has done his share to screw this country up. Companies like Target and Pepsi need be more afraid of Everyday American than Al Sharpton.
Has he looked into whoever makes Skittles and Taki?
Has Rev. Al paid his back taxes yet? If not, why isn’t he in prison?
Al Sharpton is no more a Reverend than I am. He has never had a church. He’s never had a congregation. He never went to divinity school. He was “ordained” by a DC preacher when he was 10 years old and has perpetuated the lie ever since. He’s always trying to get face time on TV, but he’s almost always on the wrong side of the argument (e.g., Tawana Brawley, the Duke Five) and no matter how his lies destroy innocent people, he’s nowhere to be found when an apology is due. He is a sham and a persistent liar and the only reason the MSM even listens to him is because is carries the Democrat water for the Leftist.
But he has Roger Stone supporting him.
Just stick a nice fat check in Sharpton’s pocket and there won’t be any boycott.
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