PepsiCo to Meet with Al Sharpton Amid DEI Cuts and Boycott Pressure
PepsiCo will meet with civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton following criticism over its recent reduction in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The beverage and snack giant agreed to the meeting after the National Action Network (NAN), led by Sharpton, raised concerns about potential rollback of corporate DEI commitments and warned of a possible boycott if substantial engagement with Black and minority communities is not sustained.
The discussion stems from an open letter Sharpton and NAN sent to top executives at leading consumer goods firms, including PepsiCo, Amazon, and Walmart. The letter, co-signed by prominent leaders from the NAACP and National Urban League, warns that large corporations are under pressure from conservative activists and state attorneys general to scale back DEI efforts amid ongoing political scrutiny of such programs.
Sharpton emphasized that consumer boycotts, if necessary, could have meaningful impact on companies reliant on Black buying power. “If you want Black dollars, you have to be sensitive to Black interests,” he stated. PepsiCo, one of the first companies to respond, agreed to a meeting within the coming weeks to discuss its DEI strategy moving forward.
The focus on PepsiCo comes in the wake of job cuts within its DEI team earlier this year. While the company maintained that it remains committed to fostering a “diverse, equitable, and inclusive” culture, it has not disclosed full details on the scale of the reductions or the future of its DEI investments. Post-2020, PepsiCo pledged over $400 million toward racial equality initiatives, including economic opportunities and internal diversity leadership targets.
According to NAN, similar meetings are being planned with other FMCG leaders and retail giants targeted in the letter. These developments take place as businesses across the sector face mounting challenges balancing social responsibility initiatives and shareholder pressures amid a shifting political landscape.
For FMCG companies, the incident underscores the importance of clearly articulating and maintaining DEI strategies, not just as a reputational safeguard but as a business priority. With consumer expectations and activist scrutiny on the rise, sustained stakeholder engagement and transparent reporting on DEI progress may serve as key differentiators in an increasingly values-driven marketplace.