Ice Cream and Activism
As one of the undeniably most delicious ice cream companies, Ben and Jerry’s have deservedly built up their fame through their ice cream flavors and ethicality. Ben and Jerry’s have created iconic ice cream flavors, such as “Half Baked,” “Milk and Cookies,” and “The Tonight Dough,” while also displaying their commitment to ethicality and environmental sustainability. Their ingredients are Fairtrade Certified, meaning that they partner with small farmers in developing countries and provide them with better prices, working conditions, and overall increasing the standard of work.
In addition to ethicality, Ben and Jerry’s is devoted to using their platform to advocate for and involve themselves in social justice issues. They created the Ben and Jerry’s Foundation in 1985 and have been committed to donating at least 7.5% of their annual pre-tax profits toward community-based, grassroots organizations. In 2019 alone, they donated over 3.5 million dollars to organizations acting against social injustice. Their website lists the issues they prioritize and support, such as human rights, social and economic justice, and environmental protection. Their website depicts the issues they want to bring awareness to and how people can educate themselves and get involved. Ben and Jerry's strives to create ethical ice cream that promotes fair business practices and improves the quality of life of its workers.
Ben and Jerry’s also believes that it is their responsibility to bring awareness to social justice issues using their global platform. On their social media, they outspokenly advocate for social justice. During the summer of 2020, they spoke out about racial injustices and voiced their support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Unlike most companies that passively support movements like these, Ben and Jerry’s has created a podcast, Who We Are, with VOX, a media outlet, that directly speaks about modern-day systemic racism, the roots of these issues, and ways that the listeners can dismantle this long-lasting problem. This podcast consists of six episodes, each tackling a different period of United States history and how it is linked to today’s systemic racism.
Furthermore, they have created ice cream flavors to bring more attention to these crucial issues. For example, the flavorJustice Remix’d, addresses the racism in the criminal justice system, by donating proceeds to the Advancement Project National Office, which is a civil rights organization that aims toward ending systemic racism. It is also because of this flavor that they have spoken at conventions with other civil rights activists to educate the community. Also, their permanent flavor, Change the Whirled, was created as a partnership with Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who was fired for kneeling during the national anthem. The proceeds from this flavor are donated directly to the Know Your Rights camp, created byKaepernick, that empowers Black and Brown youth throughout the country.
Ben and Jerry’s strives to create a lasting, unforgettable impact on the country, both on their taste buds and their awareness.
