During the past week, many of you may have seen social media stories on a controversial diversity training related to The Coca‑Cola Company.  First, let me clarify that the video and images attributed to The Coca‑Cola Company were not part of their learning curriculum. Rather, they were part of a LinkedIn Learning training module that was accessible to employees of The Coca‑Cola Company, as well as many other companies who have a relationship with the Microsoft-owned employment-oriented company.

That being said, the posts we saw on social media were disturbing and contrary to Coca‑Cola UNITED’s values.  Let me be clear that any training that encourages someone to be less than themselves is completely unacceptable and would never be part of Coca‑Cola UNITED’s curriculum.

Over the past year, Coca‑Cola UNITED has made a lot of progress on our social and economic justice initiatives, including the establishment of our employee-led Diversity & Inclusion Council.  But our commitment to a diverse and inclusive organization did not begin in 2020.  It has always been part of Coca‑Cola UNITED’s value system and our appreciation and celebration of ALL people within the UNITED family.

The training program in the controversy is no longer accessible to employees within The Coca‑Cola Company and has been removed from the LinkedIn Learning Library in general.

We know this topic has been concerning and challenging for many of you – our consumers, our customers, our family, and our friends – all who love the Coca‑Cola brand and our Coca‑Cola UNITED family.  My message to you is that Coca‑Cola UNITED is committed to acceptance and inclusion of ALL people – every race, creed, gender, lifestyle, and diversity of thought.  This diversity is our strength and allows us to serve our many communities and customers at the highest levels.

As individuals and as a Coca‑Cola UNITED family, we are proud of who we are and what we stand for.