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The Real Pepsi Challenge:
The Inspiring Story of Breaking the Color Barrier in American Business
(Wall Street Journal Books/Free Press; New York, 2007)
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In America's long march toward racial equality,
small acts of courage by men and women whose names we don't recall have
contributed mightily to our nation's struggle to achieve its own
ideals. This moving book details the story of one such
little-noted chapter. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, as Jackie
Robinson changed the face of baseball, a group of African-American
businessmen -- twelve at its peak -- changed the face of American
business by being among the first black Americans to work at
professional jobs in Corporate America and to target black consumers as
a distinct market. The corporation was Pepsi-Cola, led by the
charismatic and socially progressive Walter Mack, a visionary business
leader. Though Mack was a guarded idealist, his consent for a campaign
aimed at black consumers was primarily motivated by the pursuit of
profits -- and the campaign succeeded, boosting Pepsi's earnings and
market share. But America succeeded as well, as longstanding
stereotypes were chipped away and African- Americans were recognized as
both talented employees and valued customers. It was a significant step
in our becoming a more inclusive society. See Website
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