At the end of last year, I wrote about the struggles of The Coca Cola Company with diversity. It's a shameful history culminating several years ago in a close to $200 million lawsuit involving African-American employees.

What a different world at pepsi! Check out its pioneering work in the area of diversity and in particular its commitment to breaking the color barrier. A fascinating history is detailed this New York Times book review of Stephanie Capparell's book The Real Pepsi Challenge.

As reviewer Warren Goldstein points out, the significance of this episode in business history should not be under-estimated.

"Inconceivable without the giants of the ballpark and the ring, demonstrations and courtrooms, the movement for African-American civil rights depended even more on the mostly unknowable actions of millions, black and white, who created new ways of thinking and working and acting within and across racial lines."

It also goes beyond the platitude that "diversity is good for business". It reminds us that ethics can come down to having the courage of your convictions and breaking barriers.