The Politics of Ben and Jerry’s: Corporate Activism

Ben and Jerry’s prides itself on being an example of corporate activism in a society that continuously values profit over policy. On their Instagram, the ice cream company “sprinkles” in posts about social justice issues -- such as climate change and police brutality-- among their advertisements. On their website, the popular corporation has a section dedicated to issues they care about, including the protection of refugees, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental activism, and criminal justice reform. More importantly, they put effort into promoting their subjectively liberal stances.

Ben and Jerry’s has been a vocal advocate for LGBTQ+ rights for years, and their website offers resources for people to learn about the history of homophobia in America and how it has affected the country’s development. By 2025, the corporation hopes to achieve 100% renewable energy use to reduce the wasteful consumption of fossil fuels that typically characterizes major businesses. Ben and Jerry’s has also partnered with the International Rescue Company to raise awareness about the displacement of people due to war and climate change, as well as provide safe homes and transportation for those affected. More recently, the Vermont-based company has focused on racial disparities in the criminal justice system and discrimination in general. They advocate for defunding the police and offer a number of resources on their website to help educate the public about the issue. Each year, Ben and Jerry’s buys more from BIPOC suppliers in an effort to increase generational wealth in Black communities.

Following the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, Ben and Jerry’s published an essay titled “We Must Dismantle White Supremacy: Silence Is NOT An Option.” It had the approval of Matthew McCarthy, the CEO of the company and a personal supporter unconventionally using his ice cream platform to advocate for important issues. The text honored the historic and recent victims of police brutality. It also encouraged Congress to study the effects of racism since 1619, when the first African slaves arrived in Jamestown to work on tobacco plantations. Ben and Jerry’s was highly critical of Donald Trump’s usage of Twitter, saying he should instead use his influence to dismantle inequality.

This behavior inspired a virtual strike by Facebook employees frustrated with their company’s reluctance to flag former President Trump’s incendiary and false tweets. Corporations such as Lego, Coca-Cola, and Verizon also paused advertising on their platforms for a month following. This outburst of corporate activism following the tragedy inspired businesses to examine racially problematic images in advertising, including Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and the formerly named Washington “Redskins.” Major companies were also forced to reflect on their failed attempts at racial advocacy. For example, Pepsi looked back on their disastrous commercial with Kendall Jenner ending a police brutality protest by handing a police officer a soda.

The decision by Ben and Jerry’s to risk profit in favor of sharing their stances on human rights issues paid off in propagating a greater amount of corporate activism among American companies. The question is, will they continue to be successful as the capitalistic business world grows increasingly more competitive?