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KFC Announces Renewed Commitment to Diversity at the 39th Annual Rainbow PUSH Coalition Conference

CHICAGO (June 14, 2010)—During a press conference today at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition & Citizenship Education Fund 39th annual conference, KFC announced a renewed commitment to diversity. KFC President Roger Eaton shared the company’s new commitments and outlined plans to grow the number of minority franchisees, employees and suppliers in its system and the plans to increase marketing dollars spent with minority-owned agencies.

“At KFC, we are very proud of our diversity track record and the progress we’ve made over the years, but we realize there is more we can do,” said Roger Eaton, KFC president.

Specifically, the company has committed to the following:

• Hiring a diversity director whose sole responsibility will be to ensure the new targets are met

• Creating more business and employment opportunities for minorities by increasing the number of franchise minority-owned restaurants by 33% by the year 2016

• Establishing a minority capital program that will facilitate access to capital and recruit and aid prospective minority franchisees, with a particular emphasis on African American and Hispanic business owners

• Growing employee diversity by increasing minority representation at the director level and above by 25% by the year 2016

• Partnering with minority-owned marketing firms to develop marketing plans to best reach minority customers and to purchase up to 10% of KFC’s national media funds

• Achieving 10% minority and women supplier purchasing by the end of this year and to increase that to 12.5% over the next five years

“One of the main reasons we gather this week is to address the lingering disparities that plague communities of color and low-income neighborhoods,” said Rev. Jackson. “As we seek to close disparities and create jobs and opportunity in underserved and under resourced communities, we must build viable, strong, black and brown business enterprises.”

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) also participated in the press conference and connected the lack of access to capital for women and minorities to huge wealth disparities between races.

“An Institute on Assets and Social Policy study found that middle-income white families hold many more assets (stocks, bonds, business interests, real estate other than primary residence) than do high-income black families and that many black families hold more debt than assets, and at least 25 percent of black families have no assets to turn to in times of economic hardship,” she stated. “It is time for us to renew our efforts to bring about opportunities for women and minorities. Over the past 10 years we have dropped the ball. We need to be making announcements similar to this one once or twice a week. I am pleased with KFC and Roger Eaton because he has set specific targets that can make a difference.”

The Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a progressive organization devoted to protecting, defending and expanding civil rights to improve economic and educational opportunity. The organization is headquartered at 930 E. 50th St. in Chicago. To learn more, please visit http://www.rainbowpush.org or call (773) 373-3366. To arrange an interview with Rev. Jackson, please call the numbers listed above.

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