Ben & Jerry’s Unveils New Flavor to Support Rep. Cori Bush’s Public Safety Bill

Here’s the scoop: Social justice awareness can now be found in the Ice Alley.

Ben & Jerry’s unveiled a new flavor to promote the People’s Response Act, legislation proposed by Representative Cori Bush, D-Mo., Which seeks to reduce the disproportionate share of police violence against people with mental illness and other health complications.

The Vermont-based ice cream company launched on Monday Change is brewing, a limited-quantity flavor of cold brew coffee ice cream with marshmallow swirls and fudge brownies. Jabari Paul, the company’s head of U.S. activism, announced the new flavor at a press conference along with the company’s statement of support for the legislation and its continued commitment to advancing racial justice.

“The flavor supports the worldview in which every community is safe and everyone, including blacks and browns, can thrive,” he said.

The ice cream company has teamed up with coffee and tea company Blk & Bold and New York City’s Greyston Bakery, famous for its brownies, for the flavor. And the graphic on the colorful ice cream carton was designed by artist Laci Jordan and features a black woman painting the word ‘liberation’. Along with Bush, Ben & Jerry’s partnered with the Movement for Black Lives for this new effort.

The news comes just months after Bush announced the $ 10 billion proposal to transform public safety. The People’s Response Act would establish a community safety division within the Department of Health and Human Services that would call on non-police first responders for emergencies arising from mental health issues, substance abuse, or other complications. health or behavior. The division would be responsible for funding and coordinating research and delivering grant programs to promote “non-prison and health-oriented investments in public safety” at the national and local levels.

“The People’s Response Act is bringing transformative change to our communities – change that is long overdue,” Bush told NBC News. “By transferring public safety responsibilities to the Department of Health and Social Services, investing in local organizations that already keep 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. This is the future we deserve – and Ben & Jerry’s support for this bill shows the momentum we have to make it a reality.

This isn’t the first time Ben & Jerry’s has taken a progressive stance on an issue.

In 2016, the company expressed its support for Black Lives Matter in a blog post explicitly mentioning the police shootings and vowing not to “keep quiet about the violence.” The company has also made strong statements about dismantling white supremacy and supporting American refugees and transgender people. Last year, Ben & Jerry’s also partnered with former NFL star Colin Kaepernick for a fat-free frozen yogurt called “Change the Whirled,” the proceeds of which will go to his social justice organization, Know Your Rights Camp.