Frozen dessert company Ben & Jerry’s expresses their outrage over the murder of George Floyd, calling people to say his name, as well as any unlawfully murdered black person. Their official statement begins with “We must dismantle white supremacy. Silence is NOT an option”.
The statement includes a demand for Donald Trump to demolish all white supremacy organizations instead of calling out the “aggressive tactics” he wants to use towards protesters. This references Trump’s reactions to current events, which he continuously posts on Twitter.
The company goes deeper into the history of racism, asking congress to pass H.R. 40, which, after studying the effects of slavery and discrimination, would create a commission to achieve some sort of remedy. This would lead the government to dig more into this topic and show that black lives actually do matter.
Another call is to create a national task force in George Floyd’s name, which would focus on ending race-related violence. “We can’t continue to fund a criminal justice system that perpetuates mass incarceration while at the same time threatens the lives of a whole segment of the population.” Ben & Jerry’s also asks the Department of Justice to “reinvigorate its Civil Rights Division as a staunch defender of the rights of Black and Brown people” and “curb police abuses.” As a final thought, the company states that nothing will change unless white Americans collectively admit their privilege.
Ben & Jerry’s history of anti-racism goes back to the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016. Of course, many companies are stepping up and trying to support the black community, but Ben & Jerry’s have been straightforward and vocal for a while now, aiming to stop the violence against black lives.
The company has been actively anti-racist on their official social media accounts for years as well. They have posted helpful statistics, educational information and many calls to action. Alongside topics of mental health, LGBTQ+ and refugees issues, Ben & Jerry’s have been supporting the black community and discussing systematic racism heavily.
