1898

Caleb Bradham invents Pepsi-Cola. His assistant James Henry King, a young African-American, was the first to taste the new drink.

1940's

Pepsi sponsors the first jingle in national radio advertising history. Introduced in 1939, the campaign runs for 10 years, and the Pepsi-Cola song proves so popular it is eventually recorded in 55 languages.

Pepsi sponsors a national essay-writing contest open to "all Americans." Among the 13 finalists are two African-Americans, Allen McKellar and Jeanette Maund. As prizes they are given jobs with Pepsi. With their hiring, Pepsi becomes one of the first major companies to employ college-educated African-Americans in professional positions.

The Rodriquez family of Laredo, Texas purchases the franchise rights to make, sell and market Pepsi-Cola products in South Texas. Theirs is the first minority-owned franchise in the US.

As a result of segregated regiments in World War II, Pepsi-Cola is the only soft drink available to African-American soldiers. By the end of World War II, it is the soft drink of choice among African-Americans in the Armed Forces overseas.

1947

Walter Mack hires Edward Boyd, a former executive of the National Urban League, to develop a program to increase Pepsi sales to African-Americans. Boyd's team of 10 African-Americans travels the country telling the Pepsi story of equality. Boyd is generally credited with being the first to use "target marketing."

Pepsi-Cola is one of the earliest corporate contributors to the United Negro College Fund with grants of $1000 in 1946 and 1947, and has provided significant financial assistance to the Fund continuously since 1954.

1948

Ron Brown, later Secretary of the US Department of Commerce (1993-1996) as a 7-year-old boy was featured in Pepsi-Cola's first ad designed to target African-Americans.

1949

Pepsi signs a 12-month advertising contract with Ebony magazine, the first time a major company had signed such a contract with a minority publication. Pepsi also signs similar contracts with African-American newspapers. The ads feature African-American achievers of the day, including Nobel Peace Prizewinner Ralph Bunche, singer Lena Horne and baseball player Jackie Robinson.

1950's

Pepsi-Cola underwrites a record series on Black History called "Adventures in Negro History," which is distributed in public schools throughout the country. It is distributed in 1960s and followed by sequels outlining the struggle for freedom and education.

1958

Harvey Russell, who joined Pepsi-Cola in 1950, succeeds Edward Boyd as leader of the ethnic sales team.

Robert Dalmau becomes the first Latino to hold a professional sales position at Pepsi.

1959

Alfred Steele, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Pepsi-Cola Company since 1955, dies. His wife, movie star Joan Crawford, is a member of the Board of Directors, and one of the first females to join the board of a public company.

1962

Harvey C. Russell is named Vice President, Corporate Planning for Pepsi-Cola Company, the first African-American vice president of a major corporation. He is featured in Ebony magazine. In spite of Ku Klux Klan attempts to organize a national boycott against Pepsi, the company stands firm in its decision.

Pepsi's new "Think Young" advertising campaign includes minorities.

1965

Dr. H. Naylor Fitzhugh is hired as Vice President of Special Market. Dr. Fitzhugh, a professor of management at Howard University, was the first African-American to graduate from the Harvard Business School.