The coronavirus has taken a toll on people of color across the country, adding to the challenges facing students of color as they seek higher education. PepsiCo plans create a $40 million scholarship and mentoring program to help Black and Hispanic students attending community college in hopes of helping to bridge that gap. Derek Lewis, President of the South Division at PepsiCo Beverage North America, joined Wake Up With Cheddar, where he lamented that companies must 'lean in' to acknowledge that communities of color are disadvantaged compared to the general population, adding that society needs to have 'courageous conversations' on tough topics relating to race.