Al Sharpton, the host of MSNBC's PoliticsNation and leader of the activist group National Action Network, has recently leveraged his dual roles to instigate a boycott against PepsiCo over its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies.
This is not the first time Sharpton has merged his roles, leading to criticism for both himself and the liberal-leaning network.
During the National Action Network's annual convention, Sharpton announced his plans to boycott the beverage giant, which had recently rolled back its race-focused hiring practices under pressure from the Trump administration. Sharpton declared at the convention, "We want you to either retreat on you saying you are out of DEI or we in 21 days will start marching and boycotting Pepsi-Cola all over this country." Later, on his MSNBC show, he put Pepsi "on notice."
"We put on notice those companies like Pepsi Cola that we will withdraw patronage from those that do not live up to what they voluntarily committed in DEI," Sharpton stated on PoliticsNation, as reported by The Washington Free Beacon.
The implications of Sharpton's use of his MSNBC platform to promote the boycott could potentially cause issues for the liberal news outlet, which is planning to separate from its parent companies, Comcast and NBCUniversal, later this year.
The threat of an MSNBC-endorsed boycott could potentially fuel the Trump administration's investigation into Comcast and NBCUniversal over their DEI programs. Brendan Carr, the FCC chairman, initiated the probe in February, accusing the media conglomerate of violating federal discrimination laws and agency regulations. Carr has committed to obstructing media mergers and acquisitions involving firms that promote "discriminatory" DEI practices.
Additional conflicts could arise within the NBCUniversal executive suites. Cesar Conde, the chairman of NBCUniversal, is a member of the PepsiCo board of directors. According to corporate disclosures, he received $360,000 in fees and stock incentives last year and holds more than $2.2 million in non-voting shares of PepsiCo. Sharpton's targeting of PepsiCo, one of the largest corporate advertisers in the country, could also raise eyebrows. PepsiCo invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually in advertising brands such as Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Doritos, and Cheetos.
Sharpton discussed the boycott on his show but refrained from mentioning PepsiCo by name as he had done the previous day. "We are now saying to those corporations they should live up to what they committed [on DEI]," Sharpton stated.
The rationale behind Sharpton's choice of PepsiCo over other companiessuch as Walmart, McDonalds, Meta, Amazon, and othersthat have terminated DEI initiatives following President Donald Trumps election remains unclear.
Earlier this year, Sharpton announced on MSNBC that he would target "two or three" companies for potential boycotts due to their termination of DEI policies. This announcement came after the network faced conflict of interest concerns over Sharptons interview with Kamala Harris prior to the November election.
The Harris campaign donated $500,000 to the National Action Network in October, shortly before Sharpton interviewed the unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidate on his show. The Society of Professional Journalists, a prominent media ethics group, stated that the payment created a "black eye" for Sharpton, MSNBC, and the journalism profession. Donald Trump, a longtime critic of MSNBC, labeled Sharpton a "CON MAN" and claimed the payment was "illegal."
In late February, PepsiCo retracted its DEI programs, eliminating quotas for minority executives and suppliers. Sharpton has targeted the company before, threatening to picket the company in 1998 over its lack of black executives. The boycott never materialized after PepsiCo appointed Sharpton to a racial advisory board, a position that paid Sharpton $25,000 a year.
In 2005, Sharpton faced scrutiny over his tenure at the company after a longtime associate, La-Van Hawkins, was caught on wiretaps claiming that Sharpton could help him secure lucrative business contracts with PepsiCo through the companys "minority mandates." PepsiCo stated at the time that it would review Sharptons position on the advisory board, though he remained on the board for several more years.
Sharpton has faced allegations for years that he uses boycott threats as a "shakedown" tactic. According to a 2008 report, companies targeted by Sharpton, such as General Motors, Macys, and Chrysler, either donated to the National Action Network or hired Sharpton to advisory roles to avoid boycotts.
In 2015, Byron Allen, one of the most successful black media moguls in the country, alleged in a lawsuit that Sharpton "has a business model and track record of obtaining payments from corporate entities in exchange for his support." Allen accused Comcast, the parent company of MSNBC, of paying $3.8 million to Sharptons charity in exchange for endorsing "sham diversity agreements."
Sharpton attempted to preempt similar accusations on Saturday. "First thing right-wing is going to do is [say], 'Oh, this a shakedown," said Sharpton. He dismissed that concern, stating that PepsiCo is a longtime National Action Network donor and had paid for a table at this weeks convention. "Ill give you your money back if you mad that were coming at you," Sharpton said, seemingly addressing a PepsiCo representative attending the convention.
Login