Ben & Jerry’s calls for end to white supremacy
Ben & Jerry’s issued statement demanding end to white supremacy
With the protests around the country fighting against racism and white supremacy, many brands have put out statements denouncing racism and showing their support for their Black employees. But Ben & Jerry’s went a step or two further with their statement.
Ben & Jerry’s not only came out against racism and for Black Lives Matter, but they also came with a plan as well.
The ice cream brand posted a lengthy blog post detailing exactly what they planned to do to “dismantle white supremacy.” The post titled “Silence is Not an Option” starts out with the company expressing their outrage that another Black person, George Floyd, had been murdered by the police and that the police were reacting violently to the protesters demanding justice.
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The post goes on to condemn the “bad apple” theory. This theory states that the police who kill people (the “bad ones”) are few and far between. Ben & Jerry’s argues that the whole system is toxic.
They explain that what happened to George Floyd is due to a “racist and prejudiced system and culture.”
"What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning.What happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis is the fruit borne of toxic seeds planted on the shores of our country in Jamestown in 1619, when the first enslaved men and women arrived on this continent. Floyd is the latest in a long list of names that stretches back to that time and that shore."
The post goes on to give four points for how Ben & Jerry plans to take action. The first is to call on the President and other elected officials to begin committing the country to “a formal process of healing and reconciliation.” They also want the President to reject the nationalists and white supremacists who support him.
Ben & Jerry’s calls for action to fight systemic racism and white supremacy
They go on to demand that Congress pass the H.R. 40 bill that would create a committee to study the effects of discrimination and slavery on our country and advise what the appropriate solutions should be. They also back George Floyd’s family in wanting a task force to end racial violence and ensure police are held accountable for everything they do.
Their final point is to call on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to restart its Civil Rights Division and make sure it’s focused on demanding equal rights of Black and Brown people.
"The DOJ must also reinstate policies rolled back under the Trump Administration, such as consent decrees to curb police abuses."
Perhaps because this isn’t Ben & Jerry’s first time making a political statement as a brand, their post is better and much more thorough than any other brand to date. They have supported Black Lives Matter, called for reparations, and fought for criminal justice reform in the past.
This is nothing new for them, but when you compare their words to all the others who put out messages, it certainly stands out as sincere and genuine.
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What are your thoughts on Ben & Jerry’s statement? Let us know in the comments below!