Ben & Jerry’s tackles structural racism with latest flavor
To highlight the “broken criminal legal system” in the US, the Justice ReMix’d campaign partnered with the civil rights organization Advancement Project National Office (APNO). It works with local organizers on racial justice issues across the country.
Pints of the Justice ReMix’d flavor will be available nationwide and in Scoop Shops for a limited time. It contains cinnamon and chocolate ice creams with chunks of cinnamon bun dough and spicy fudge brownies.
Judith Browne Dianis, executive director of APNO, said, “Our country needs to invest in services that build up communities rather than those that tear them down. That means ending a wealth-based pre-trial detention system that locks people up because they are poor, black or brown.
“It means dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline, divesting from criminalizing students and investing in the creation of high-quality education and services. It’s time to reimagine safety and justice.”
Ben & Jerry's on Justice ReMix'd:
"Innocent until proven guilty. Fairness. Justice. Those are the values that guide our legal system, right? Well, maybe for some, but definitely not for all. America locks people up at a higher rate than any other country on earth — and bias is baked right in. If you’re a person of color or struggling to make ends meet, you’re much more likely to be sent to prison — for a longer period of time — than a white person convicted of the same crime."
"It’s time for change. Join us as we learn more about front-end criminal justice reform and how transforming the system can benefit everyone."
Ben & Jerry’s will send out its Scoop Shop trucks to “spark conversations, activate community members, and give away ice cream” as a part of Justice ReMix’d, and a portion of the new flavor’s proceeds will go to APNO.
On the Ben & Jerry's website, the public can sign their digital support for the campaign and receive updates from partner organization Color of Change. More than 105,000 signatures are recorded, and Ben & Jerry's said the Justice ReMix'd flavor is just one part of a multi-year campaign by the company for criminal justice reform.
The site also focuses on education, and answers FAQs like 'What happens to children who are sent to adult facilities?' and 'Why would reforming cash bail be a good thing?'
Ben Cohen, co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s, said, “Our approach to creating social change is to raise up the work non-profits are doing on the ground.
“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. Somehow, it’s easier to talk about difficult issues over a scoop or two.”
In the past, Ben & Jerry's has not shied away from talking politics, but rather incorporated its social activism into its regular marketing campaigns. During the 2018 midterm elections in the US last fall, Ben & Jerry's released a limited flavor Pecan Resist that protested the Trump Administration and donated to community groups like the Women's March and Color of Change.
Ahead of the 2016 general election, the Empower Mint flavor was released in partnership with the NAACP to raise awareness of state voting barriers, and in 2009 Ben & Jerry's used the Hubby Hubby flavor to show its support of marriage equality.
