Ice cream chain Ben & Jerry’s posted an unusually strong statement Tuesday in response to the death of George Floyd, calling for the dismantling of white supremacy and condemning police violence against protesters.
The statement came as other large corporations, including McDonald’s and Nike, spoke up against injustice toward black people as protests sweep the nation. But Ben & Jerry’s words stood out for their forcefulness and candor.
“The murder of George Floyd was the result of inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy,” the chain wrote. “What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning.”
It goes on to list four steps to “dismantle white supremacy in all its forms,” including calling on President Trump to disavow white supremacist and nationalist groups and for Congress to create a commission that would study the continuing effects of slavery and discrimination.
“We have to use this moment to accelerate our nation's long journey towards justice and a more perfect union,” it said.
Ben & Jerry’s was founded in 1978 in Burlington, Vt., and has about 242 locations across the U.S. The chain has a history of activism: In 2005, for instance, it created a 900-pound Baked Alaska and served it up in front of the U.S. Capitol to draw attention to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
On Wednesday morning, McDonald’s posted a tweet listing the names of African Americans who have been killed, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and George Floyd. “They were one of us,” the tweet stated.
A video within the tweet expresses support for victims of systemic oppression and violence and said the chain donated to the National Urban League and the NAACP. It concludes with the words “Black lives matter.”
Burger King, Taco Bell and Starbucks are among the other large chains that have posted similar statements.
Protests over the death of Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police have spread to all 50 states and to other countries around the world. Some have been accompanied by violence and looting and damaging of businesses, including restaurants.
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