'It's really, really good': Illinois governor toasts diversity by gulping chocolate milk

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner stood before a Chicago crowd Wednesday and took a large gulp of chocolate milk — a symbol of corporate diversity — and declared:

"It's really, really good," the Republican said, putting his arm around Tyronne Stoudemire, a Hyatt Hotels executive.

He then lifted his pint glass in the air and added, "Diversity."

The Chicago Tribune reports the first-term governor was ending a demonstration about diversity at a Black History Month event at the Chicago Thompson Center. Stoudemire, Hyatt's vice president of global diversity and inclusion, brought the governor on stage to perform the chocolate milk show, which Stoudemire's done for almost two decades as a way to shed a light on the dearth of diversity in corporate America.

More: United States seeing uptick in diversity for Winter Olympics team

Here's how the demonstration worked.

Stoudemire, holding a pint glass, told the crowd it represented Fortune 500 companies. Pouring into the glass, he explained the milk was the white-male-heavy leadership teams of the companies. The Hershey's chocolate syrup, he said, was diversity.

The governor, now holding the pint glass of plain white milk, watched as Stoudemire poured in the chocolate syrup. Stoudemire, the Tribune video shows, explains companies are diverse, but the diversity sits at the bottom of the corporate structure.

More: Ted Cruz: 'Democrats are the party of Lisa Simpson'

Then came the teaching moment.

"You don't get inclusion until you actually stir it up," said Stoudemire, instructing the governor to stir the milk as the crowd cheered.

Just before the governor took his gulp, Stoudemire put a bow on the presentation, an ABC7 video shows.

"Diversity is the mix and inclusion is making the mix work," he said. "And it actually tastes pretty good."

Follow Sean Rossman on Twitter: @SeanRossman