Ben & Jerry’s has created a new ice cream aimed at shining a light on racism in the U.S. criminal justice system.
The ice cream, called Justice ReMix’d, includes cinnamon and chocolate ice cream, cinnamon bun dough and brownies, the Waterbury-based ice cream company said in a statement Tuesday.
The new flavor and campaign is part of a longtime strategy at the 40-year-old company to use its marketing might and the popularity of its products to advance causes such as civil rights.
Last year, Brattleboro civil rights activist Curtiss Reed Jr. called on Ben & Jerry’s to recognize a person of color — fellow advocate Colin Kaepernick, who as a football quarterback was both lauded and criticized for kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality against people of color.
Reed noted that the company has recognized several celebrities, including Stephen Colbert (AmeriCone Dream), Jerry Garcia (Cherry Garcia), Elton John (Goodbye Yellow Brickle Road), John Lennon (Imagine Whirled Peace), and Vermont Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Hannah Teter (Maple Blondie). But other than a play on President Barack Obama’s campaign motto with “Yes Pecan,” no Ben & Jerry’s flavor has recognized a person of color.
Laura Peterson, described as the Ben & Jerry’s “public elations” manager for North America, said Tuesday that the development of the new flavor had nothing to do with Reed.
“But we do appreciate his passion and agree that our Limited Batches could use some diversity,” said Peterson.
Ben & Jerry’s is owned by the Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey-based Unilever, a global company that reported revenues of $60 billion last year and 161,000 employees worldwide.
Asked if taking on the issue of racial justice in prisons conflicted in any way with Unilever’s approach to public relations, Peterson noted that Ben & Jerry’s has an independent board of directors.
“They are not responsible for the bottom line, but they are responsible for our brand health, quality, and social mission,” Peterson said of the board. She added that Ben & Jerry’s hasn’t experienced “pushback” from Unilever.
“Unilever has been very respectful and appreciative of our unique approach to business,” she said.
James Lyall, the executive director of the Vermont ACLU, said the issue of racial injustice in the prison system has become mainstream.
“It might have been unusual or controversial several decades ago, but it’s important to recognize that huge margins of voters and Americans across the country support criminal justice reform,” he said. “The climate has shifted considerably. The crisis of having 2.3 million people behind bars, and the extreme systematic racism that defines our criminal justice system is impossible to ignore.”
Ben & Jerry’s is working with a national civil rights organization called Advancement Project National Office on the latest campaign.
The company said Ben & Jerry’s has also been deploying a scoop truck in various locations where there are growing social movements. The truck was present at 27 events in St. Louis in support of a group, Close the Workhouse Coalition, the company said. In Miami, the company is working with a group that is urging the Miami-Dade County School Board to prioritize funding for mental health and counselors instead of more security and surveillance.
At a media event in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen said the company’s goal is to showcase the work of nonprofit organizations.
“We bring every resource we have to support them—our business voice, our connection with fans, our Scoop Shop community and of course, ice cream,” he said in a prepared release. “Somehow, it’s easier to talk about difficult issues over a scoop or two.”
