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Jesse Jackson Presses Deere on Dealer Ownership

Sam Olukoya

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Civil rights activist Jesse Jackson is pressuring Deere & Co. to create opportunities for blacks to own agricultural equipment dealerships in the United States and some African countries.

 

The leader of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, who has long pushed for greater minority inclusion in corporate America, said Deere does not have one African-American-owned dealership and denied a 31-year Deere employee who is black the chance to become a John Deere dealer.

The employee, Kenny Edwards, recently filed a lawsuit against Deere after his attempt to buy two dealerships fell through.

At a press conference in Chicago Wednesday, Jackson challenged Deere, the world's largest farm equipment maker, to establish 20 black-owned dealerships during the next 10 years in the United States and countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania and Central African Republic.

A spokesman for Moline, Illinois-based Deere on Wednesday referred to a May 6 statement in which the company said the lawsuit was without merit. In that statement, Deere said it had not denied approval to become a John Deere dealer based on race.

Deere said Edwards entered an agreement to buy dealerships from independent owners who later withdrew their offer to sell.