When you think of Ben & Jerry’s, you probably think of ice cream and not social activism, right? Until recently, so did I. 

It all started with an email sent by Anuradha Mittal, the board chair of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. In the email, sent to Matthew McCarthy, the chief executive officer, Mittal requested that the company issue a public statement after the killing of George Floyd. McCarthy’s response was quick: his team was already on it. On June second, the company posted its response to its website as well as its various social media platforms. The cover of each post was an eye-catching image that read in bold font: “We Must Dismantle White Supremacy” and “Silence is NOT an Option.” 

In the issued statement, Ben & Jerry’s declared that it was beyond outraged at the murder of George Floyd. It stated that this murder was a result of the result of “inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy.” And it wasn’t just because of one bad police officer; rather, “it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning.” 

But Ben & Jerry’s knew that it couldn’t stop there; simply voicing its opinion wasn’t enough. As a company owned and run by two white men, with its privilege came a responsibility to use their power and continue its mission. The company knew that this statement would have significant influence among other major companies; it knew that it would set the bar. In the statement, Ben & Jerry’s urged other companies like themselves not to stay silent. “We have to speak out. We have to stand together with the victims of murder, marginalization, and repression because of their skin color, and with those who seek justice through protests across our country.” Ben & Jerry’s didn’t see this statement as a grand political gesture; they saw it as their duty.

Taking it even a step further, the company called upon President Trump and other elected officials to commit the United States to “a formal process of healing and reconciliation.” They additionally called upon Congress, urging them to pass H.R. 40— legislation that would aim to end the effects of slavery and discrimination from 1619 to today. They voiced their support of Floyd’s family’s call to create a national task force that would draft legislation aiming to end racial violence and police brutality. Finally, they called upon the Department of Justice, driving them to reinstate policies that had been rolled back by Trump’s administration, including consent decrees which would aim to curb police abuses. The company reiterated the urgency of these issues, stating that “the world is watching America’s response.”

In their mission statement, Ben & Jerry’s vows to “use [its] company in innovative ways to make the world a better place.” And they have certainly stuck to that promise. Though Ben & Jerry’s has always been fairly politically active, and this was not the first time it publicly voiced its support for the Black Lives Matter movement, this was the post that launched them into the present-day activist atmosphere. Within the first few days it was published, the post was circulated hundreds of thousands of times. 

Since the initial post, the company has remained consistently politically active. On their social media, they frequently post short informational videos, infographics, and statistics to help keep the public informed. They’ve covered topics ranging from LGBTQ+ rights, to the importance of voting, to mental health, to education. Under the “Values” tab on their website, they expand more in-depth about the issues that they’re not only passionate about but committed to solving. They have also made it clear that this struggle is not over: we need to keep fighting for justice.

Ben & Jerry’s should serve as an example for anyone with a platform. Even if your brand or product has nothing to do with it, you should still use the voice you’ve been given to advocate for important social issues. If a small-town ice cream company can become one of the Black Lives Matter movement’s biggest supporters, anything’s possible. Mega companies like Ben & Jerry’s have so much power; it’s their duty to use it. They have shown us that everyone should use their voice to fight for equality.

As consumers, it’s our responsibility to support brands and companies that advocate for justice. Knowing that my favorite ice cream company is fighting for what it believes in made me even prouder to have pints of New-York-Super-Fudge stocked up in my freezer. On June second, Ben & Jerry’s hit us with a twist-- and not the chocolate and vanilla one we were expecting-- they had shown us all, as they put it, that silence is NOT an option.