In Summary
Ben & Jerry’s announced a new ice cream flavor Monday in support of Rep. Cori Bush’s People’s Response Act.Ben & Jerry’s has long been spreading social justice awareness across the ice cream aisle, and their latest scoop is in response to Rep. Cori Bush’s People’s Response Act, per NBC News’ Char Adams.
The bill aims to reduce the disproportionate percentage of police violence directed at people with mental illnesses and other health issues.
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Change Is Brewing, a limited-batch flavor of cold brew coffee ice cream with marshmallow swirls and fudge brownies, was introduced during a press conference on Monday.
“If you’re wondering why an ice cream company cares about public safety or the passage of this legislation, the answer is simple: We care because we believe in the power of business to impact positive social change in the world,” said Jabari Paul, the company’s U.S. activism manager.
He went on to say the flavor “supports the vision of the world in which every community is safe and everyone, including Black and Brown people, can thrive.”
For the taste, the ice cream firm collaborated with Blk & Bold, a Black-owned coffee and tea company, and New York’s Greyston Bakery, which is known for its brownies. Artist Laci Jordan created the picture for the bright ice cream box, which portrays a Black woman painting the word “liberation,” per Adams.
By establishing a public safety section under the Department of Human Health and Services, the People’s Response Act promotes an inclusive, holistic, and health-centered approach to public safety and, according to Bush, will usher in long overdue changes.
“By shifting responsibilities of public safety to the Department of Health and Human Services, investing in grassroots organizations already doing the work of keeping our communities safe, and creating alternative responses to 911 calls for mental health emergencies, the People’s Response Act can and will transform public safety in our country,” said Bush, as reported by Adams. “This is the future that we deserve—and Ben & Jerry’s support of this bill shows the momentum we have towards making it a reality.”
This isn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s has used ice cream to address social justice issues and raise awareness, and it likely won’t be the last. It’s fair to say their commitment to social justice has been baked into everything they’ve done, per a 2016 blog post.
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The Vermont-based ice cream firm has released a number of sweet and oppression-free flavors over the years, including Fudge 12, White Macadamia Nut Privilege, Justice ReMix’d and Change the Whirled. They’ve also expressed their support for Black Lives Matter, refugees, transgender people and same-sex marriage and have talked about ending racial supremacy.
“Our company has never been one to shy away from the political battlefield. Ice cream is not ‘just ice’, it is JUSTICE … and cream,” Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Ben Cohen previously said, per Stanford Daily’s Tanya Watarastaporn. “Our ice creams are sweet, but the love for fighting oppression tastes even sweeter; it’s our secret ingredient!”