Mixing business and politics has always been a wishy-washy subject. Should businesses step forward and share their views to show support and jeopardize sales or stay silent on social justice matters. One business that has never kept their views to themselves is Ben and Jerry's who as a business has been deep in advocating political issues since their inception in Burlington, Vermont in the 70s.
Ben & Jerry's Wants to Defund the Police
Most recently Ben & Jerry's released a statement on social media calling for the abolishment of police after the murder of Daunte Wright, a 20-year old Black man that was shot during a traffic stop by police officer Kim Potter in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities. This system can't be reformed. It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up. #DefundThePolice
The murder of #DaunteWright is rooted in white supremacy and results from the intentional criminalization of Black and Brown communities.
This system can?t be reformed.
It must be dismantled and a real system of public safety rebuilt from the ground up.#DefundThePolice
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) April 12, 2021
The ice cream brand shares its values and issues on its website. Some issues include refugees, rBGH, peacebuilding, fair trade, GMO labeling, climate justice, LGBT Equality, democracy, racial justice, and Justice ReMix'd, a campaign dedicated to criminal justice reform. Ben & Jerry's ice cream may be an ice cream company, but it doesn't mean they can't care about activism and social issues. Co-founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield shared why it works.
''Using ice cream to talk about difficult issues creates an opening,'' Cohen said in an article with the New York Times. ''You can talk in a way that's tinged with lightness, which makes it much more palatable.''
Both co-founders were arrested during the peaceful Democracy Awakening protests on the U.S. Capitol steps in Washington, D.C in 2016.
Ben & Jerry's Euphori-Lock Ice Cream Pint Combination Lock Protector
Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream Flavors That Impact Change
- Justice ReMix'd
- Rainforest Crunch
- Yes, Pecan!
- Pecan Resist
- Imagine Whirled Peace
- One Sweet Whirled
- I Dough, I Dough
- Save Our Swirled
- Bernie's Yearning
- Bernie's Back
- Empower Mint
- Fossil Fuel
- Economic Crunch
- Peace Pop
The Ben & Jerry's Foundation
Created in 1985 to support grassroots organizations across the country, the Ben & Jerry's Foundation consists of an independent board of directors from the company. In an unprecedented decision in 1985, the board of directors committed 7.5% of annual pre-tax profits to the foundation despite the bottom line. Today, the Foundation receives an annual allocation adjusted upward annually based on the volume of ice cream sold. The social mission of the foundation is to help fund nonprofits in need.
The foundation gives grants to grassroots programs that help promote advocacy and social change. Some recipients include 350 South Florida, activism for climate change group, Bay Area Black Workers Center, an East Oakland-based worker center that is dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Black community, and CLEAN Carwash Campaign, an immigrant worker-led organization that organizes car wash workers to transform the exploitative car wash industry in Los Angeles.
So the next time you are craving Ben & Jerry's, know it's more than ice cream, it's a life-changing company.
