By Drew-Shane Daniels
Last week, Ben & Jerry’s issued a statement on its website on why this country needs to declare and affirm that #BlackLivesMatter and encouraged its customers to not be complacent on the issue of systemic racism. This necessary call to action serves as a reminder about the value of black lives and bodies in America, and many should feel disgusted at what we see presently in our country.
“They matter because they are children, brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers,” a portion of the statement read. “They matter because the injustices they face steal from all of us — white people and people of color alike. They steal our very humanity.”
We’re constantly inundated with stories about police brutality and reminded about institutionalized racism and how it impacts the black community on a daily basis. Ben & Jerry’s statement also confronts police brutality, and frankly, reminds us of the every day examples we see on social media and television about the treatment of black bodies.
“It’s been hard to watch the list of unarmed Black Americans killed by law enforcement officers grow longer and longer. We understand that numerous Black Americans and white Americans have profoundly different experiences and outcomes with law enforcement and the criminal justice system.”
Many American businesses choose to remain neutral or silent when it comes to social issues like same-sex marriage, women’s rights and other political movements. Unlike many organizations, Ben & Jerry’s founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield have a history of weighing in on social issues, releasing ice cream flavors supporting marriage equality and raising awareness about environmental threats.
There’s a heavy price when speaking up for black people, but not as heavy as the burden black people face daily. It’s time to recognize the torture and frustration we experience at the hands of an ironically unjust justice system that wants to restore “law and order” and treat us as less than.
Companies risk financial harm and can alienate customers who think otherwise. Black people, however, know and understand isolation far too well.
Read the entire story here.
