Work of the Week: 05/06/20
The best piece of work to come from a brand in the past week isn't really a piece of work at all - and is all the more important for it. While numerous brands were accused of virtue signalling with their response to the murder of George Floyd, Ben & Jerry's was praised for its own. The Unilever-owned ice cream brand, which has a long time history of supporting social causes, explicitly lays the murder of George Floyd as "the result of inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy".
"All of us at Ben & Jerry’s are outraged about the murder of another Black person by Minneapolis police officers last week and the continued violent response by police against protestors," the statement continues. "We have to speak out. We have to stand together with the victims of murder, marginalization, and repression because of their skin color, and with those who seek justice through protests across our country. We have to say his name: George Floyd."
Ben and Jerry's calls for four specific actions to dismantle white supremacy in all its forms, calling for President Trump, Congress and the Department of Justice to take action.
"Unless and until 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 steeped in justice, the list of names that George Floyd has been added to will never end. We have to use this moment to accelerate our nation's long journey towards justice and a more perfect union."
This final paragraph of the statement may specifically reference America but should serve serve to provoke thought and action in all people with privilege around the world.
Check out the full list, which is packed full of projects with purpose, below.
Ben & Jerry's Praised for Statement on the Murder of George Floyd
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