In case you needed another reason to love Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, they’re taking a stand in support of the fight for Black lives.
The popular dessert brand spoke out to let customers know that they have joined in on the pursuit of justice for the lives of African-Americans claimed by law enforcement and are committed to spreading awareness about ending police brutality against Black people.
“Black lives matter. They matter because they are children, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers,” the company said via a lengthy call to action posted to their official website. “They matter because the injustices they face steal from all of us — white people and people of color alike. They steal our very humanity. Systemic and institutionalized racism are the defining civil rights and social justice issues of our time. We’ve come to understand that to be silent about the violence and threats to the lives and well-being of Black people is to be complicit in that violence and those threats.”
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Taking things a step further, the brand also encouraged consumers and the general public to stand with them by speaking out about injustice against Black lives. “It’s been hard to watch the list of unarmed Black Americans killed by law enforcement officers grow longer and longer,” the website reads.
“We understand that numerous Black Americans and white Americans have profoundly different experiences and outcomes with law enforcement and the criminal justice system. That’s why it’s become clear to us at Ben & Jerry’s that we have a moral obligation to take a stand now for justice and for Black lives.”
The company also made it clear that like the Black Lives Matter organization, they are not anti-police, but can no longer deny the blatant racial bias present in the American criminal justice system.
“We want to be clear: we believe that saying Black lives matter is not to say that the lives of those who serve in the law enforcement community don’t,” the statement continues. “But we do believe that — whether Black, brown, white, or blue — our nation and our very way of life is dependent on the principle of all people being served equal justice under the law. And it’s clear, the effects of the criminal justice system are not color blind.”
We applaud Ben & Jerry’s for providing a strong example of what it looks like to use a massive company platform to take a stand and call for an end to the disregard for Black lives in America. You can read their full statement in support of Black Lives Matter here.