In early 2021, the internet basically exploded over a few leaked screenshots. They weren't from a high-stakes political thriller or a celebrity scandal, but from an internal training module for one of the most recognizable brands on the planet. The phrase Coca Cola be less white started trending instantly, sparking a firestorm that bridged the gap between corporate HR offices and heated cable news debates. It wasn't just a PR hiccup; it was a watershed moment for how companies handle diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Honestly, the backlash was swift. People were confused, angry, or just plain baffled by why a soda company was telling its employees to alter their racial identity. But like most things that go viral, the reality of the situation was a bit more nuanced than a three-word headline.
Where did the "Be Less White" training actually come from?
The controversy didn't start in a Coca-Cola boardroom. It started on LinkedIn Learning. The slides that leaked were part of a curriculum designed by Robin DiAngelo, the author of White Fragility. DiAngelo is a well-known, if polarizing, figure in the DEI space. Her work often focuses on challenging white people to confront their internalized biases.
A whistleblower, reportedly an employee at Coke, took photos of the slides and sent them to Karlyn Borysenko, an activist and organizational psychologist. Borysenko posted them on Twitter (now X), and the rest is history. One slide specifically listed tips on how to be less white, which included suggestions like being "less oppressive," "less arrogant," and "breaking with white solidarity."
It looked bad. Really bad.
Coke's immediate response was a bit of a scramble. They didn't deny the slides existed, but they clarified that the training wasn't a mandatory part of their "Better Together" global learning curriculum. Instead, they said it was part of a broader plan to help build an inclusive workplace. They basically admitted it was accessible to employees but wasn't necessarily the "core" of their strategy. Still, the damage was done. For many, the "Coca Cola be less white" slogan became a shorthand for corporate overreach and "woke" culture gone off the rails.
The backlash: More than just a Twitter trend
This wasn't just a few people complaining online. It had real-world legs. Conservative commentators like Candace Owens and Ben Shapiro jumped on it immediately. They argued that the training was inherently racist—just in the opposite direction of what people usually mean by that word.
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The logic? If you replaced the word "white" with any other race, the training would be universally condemned.
It wasn't just pundits, though. Some employees felt alienated. Imagine going to work at a place where you've put in twenty years, only to be told your "whiteness" is a problem that needs to be managed or minimized. It creates a weird vibe, right? In a business sense, it was a disaster. Companies usually want to be as broad and welcoming as possible. By appearing to target a specific demographic of their own workforce, Coke risked alienating a massive chunk of their consumer base.
Why Robin DiAngelo's involvement changed the stakes
DiAngelo's philosophy is central to understanding why this specific training exists. She posits that in a racist society, white people are socialized into a position of dominance. To undo that, she believes radical self-reflection—and often, discomfort—is required.
When Coke adopted these materials, even if just as an "optional" LinkedIn course, they were implicitly endorsing this worldview.
Critics, including many liberal-leaning academics like John McWhorter, argued that this approach is actually counterproductive. McWhorter, a linguist at Columbia University, has often pointed out that telling people to be "less" of their race doesn't actually solve systemic issues. It just makes people defensive and resentful. It turns diversity work into a performance of guilt rather than a genuine effort to hire fairly or treat people with respect.
Corporate DEI in the crosshairs
The Coca Cola be less white incident wasn't an isolated event. It was part of a massive wave of corporate DEI initiatives that surged after 2020. Companies were falling over themselves to prove they were "on the right side of history." In many cases, this led to HR departments buying off-the-shelf training programs without fully vetting the content.
LinkedIn Learning eventually pulled the course after the controversy peaked. A spokesperson for LinkedIn stated that the content was no longer available in their library.
This highlights a bigger problem in the business world: the "check-the-box" mentality. Many companies want the PR gold stars that come with diversity training without doing the hard, messy work of actually changing company culture. By buying a pre-packaged course from a famous author, they thought they were doing the right thing. Instead, they walked into a buzzsaw.
What actually changed at Coca-Cola?
After the fallout, Coke had to do some serious soul-searching. They didn't scrap their DEI efforts entirely—that would have been its own kind of PR nightmare. But they did pivot.
They moved away from the more confrontational, DiAngelo-style training toward what they call "inclusive leadership." It’s less about telling people what they are "doing wrong" based on their skin color and more about fostering a collaborative environment. They also faced a massive leadership shakeup in their legal department shortly after, though the company denied it was directly linked to the training controversy. Bradley Gayton, the General Counsel who had pushed for very aggressive diversity quotas for outside law firms, resigned after only eight months in the role.
The "be less white" era taught Coke—and other Fortune 500 companies—a very expensive lesson. Identity politics is a minefield.
The lasting impact on workplace culture
If you walk into a corporate office today, the vibe is different than it was in 2021. The "Coca Cola be less white" story is often cited in HR circles as a "what not to do" case study.
We've seen a shift toward "viewpoint diversity." This is the idea that a truly inclusive workplace doesn't just look diverse in terms of race or gender, but also includes a range of political and social beliefs. When you alienate half your workforce with a training program, you aren't being inclusive. You're just creating a different kind of bubble.
Does DEI have a future?
It’s a complicated question. On one hand, data shows that diverse teams—when managed well—actually perform better. They're more creative. They catch errors faster. But "managed well" is the key phrase there.
The "be less white" approach failed because it was divisive. It focused on immutable characteristics rather than shared goals. Modern DEI is trying to move toward a "Belonging" model. The goal is to make everyone feel like they have a seat at the table, regardless of their background.
Actionable insights for businesses and employees
If you're a business owner or an HR professional, there are some very clear takeaways from the Coca-Cola mess. You can't just outsource your culture to a third-party video series and expect it to go well.
- Vet your materials. Seriously. If you're using external trainers or platforms like LinkedIn Learning, someone with actual authority needs to watch every minute of that content before it goes to the staff.
- Focus on "Pro-Human" training. Instead of focusing on what people should be "less" of, focus on what they should be "more" of. More curious. More empathetic. More professional.
- Allow for feedback. If an employee says a training module makes them feel attacked or uncomfortable, don't just dismiss it as "fragility." Listen. If your goal is a cohesive team, you need to know where the friction points are.
- Transparency is everything. If you get caught in a PR storm like Coke did, don't give a "non-apology" apology. Acknowledge exactly what happened and how you're changing the process moving forward.
The Coca Cola be less white controversy wasn't just a meme. It was a moment where the corporate world's desire for social relevance crashed into the reality of a diverse and divided workforce. It serves as a permanent reminder that in the world of business, words matter, and the way you treat your employees is just as important as the product you put in the bottle.
Companies today are much more careful. They've realized that true inclusion isn't about subtracting from someone's identity, but about adding to the collective strength of the team. It took a global PR disaster for one of the world's biggest brands to help everyone else figure that out.