In a strong statement posted on the company’s website late Tuesday, Ben & Jerry’s describe the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in the arms of a white police officer, as a result of “inhumane police brutality perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy.”
“What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was a predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that treated black bodies as enemies from the beginning,” said the brand, which owns Unilever(OJ).
Companies, including Nike(NKE). Netflix(NFLX). Twitter(TWTR). Disney(DIS). Facebook(full board) and Intel(INTC) in recent days they have condemned racism and injustice. But Ben & Jerry’s statement is unusually comprehensive and direct, addressing the historical roots of discrimination in the United States and calling for systemic racism, while advocating specific policies to prevent further police abuse and eliminate racial inequality.
“Slavery, Jim Crow and segregation were systems of legalized and cashed white supremacy for which generations of blacks and brown people paid an immeasurable price. it is stated in the company statement.
Ben & Jerry’s, which he also publicly supported Black living matter movement, he called on President Donald Trump to reject white supremacists and nationalist groups that “openly support” him.
The ice cream maker also called on the U.S. Department of Justice to strengthen its civil rights department and for Congress to adopt H. 40., a bill to create a commission to study the effects of discrimination since African slaves first arrived in North America in 1619 and recommended remedies.
Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of political activism under founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield arrested in 2016 because of the protest against money in politics.
Company company sale to the British-Dutch consumer goods giant Unilever(OJ) In 2000, it did not stop him from talking about issues such as racial injustice, climate change and refugee rights. As part of the deal, Ben & Jerry retained an independent board of directors. “We are a wholly owned subsidiary [of Unilever], but we continue to act in accordance with Ben & Jerry ‘s mission, vision and values, “a spokesman told CNN Business.
The brand even used its ice cream to lobby for changes, launching models Taste of Justice Justice in September to promote criminal justice reform and Pecan resist in 2018 in protest of Trump’s administrative policies which she described as “regressive and discriminatory”.
The company was praised by social media activists for the strength of their statement about Floyd’s death.
“Unless white America is willing to collectively acknowledge its privilege, take responsibility for its past and the impact it has on the present, and commit to creating a future anchored in justice, the list of names to which George Floyd will be added will never end. We must seize this moment. to accelerate our nation’s long road to justice and a more perfect union, ”the statement concluded.
Unilever CEO Alan Jope also commented on the issue. “Systemic racism and social injustice must be eradicated. Business plays a key role in creating a just society that is intolerant of intolerance,” he said on Monday. Twitter.
