Ben & Jerry's, the ultra-progressive company that teamed up with Colin Kaepernick to create a new social justice flavor, demanded police be defunded at the height of the George Floyd protests, and wanted to stop selling their ice cream in the "the Occupied Palestinian Territory," enraged Americans with what they called for on Independence Day.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Ben & Jerry's wrote, "This 4th of July, it's high time we recognize that the US exists on stolen Indigenous land and commit to returning it. Learn more and take action now." The tweet linked to a page on its website that explains further.
"Ah, the Fourth of July. Who doesn't love a good parade, some tasty barbecue, and a stirring fireworks display? The only problem with all that, though, is that it can distract from an essential truth about this nation's birth: The US was founded on stolen Indigenous land," the message says. "This year, let's commit to returning it."
The first place the company hopes to "return" to the Lakota Sioux is Mount Rushmore.
Why are we talking about this? Because on the Fourth of July many people in the US celebrate liberty and independence—our country’s and our own.
But what is the meaning of Independence Day for those whose land this country stole, those who were murdered and forced with brutal violence onto reservations, those who were pushed from their holy places and denied their freedom? The faces on Mount Rushmore are the faces of men who actively worked to destroy Indigenous cultures and ways of life, to deny Indigenous people their basic rights.
The Indigenous-led Land Back movement(Opens in new window) is all about restoring the rights and freedoms of Indigenous people. It’s about dismantling white supremacy and systems of oppression and ensuring that Indigenous people can again govern the land their communities called home for thousands of years. (Ben & Jerry's)
Critics gave Ben & Jerry's the same treatment the Associated Press got after their Independence Day report:
I look forward to the virtue signaling Ben & Jerry’s returning their factory’s land to the Abenaki and Mohican Native Americans that have lived in Vermont for 10,000 years.
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) July 5, 2023
You are stealing milk from cows. Where is the justice for the cows?
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) July 4, 2023
The only right thing to do is donate all of your assets and retained earnings. Shareholders will understand.
— Billboard Chris 🇨🇦🇺🇸 (@BillboardChris) July 4, 2023
First you need to apologize to the millions of cows you milked without consent. Your product is colonialist misogyny in the form of an overpriced desert. Stop feeding the people cow trauma.
— Joseph Massey (@jmasseypoet) July 4, 2023
Just announce the ESG flavor already lmao https://t.co/4NXvxEty1D
— The Rabbit Hole (@TheRabbitHole84) July 4, 2023
Hi y’all,
— Zeek Arkham 🇺🇸 (@ZeekArkham) July 5, 2023
I’m wondering when you’ll give up the land your factory is on, give all your profits to local Native American tribes, and move your business to someplace on this planet that hasn’t been conquered, settled, fought over, or claimed.
Please let me know. I’d hate for you… https://t.co/nEGyrsKY0U
As mentioned above, this wouldn't be the first time Ben & Jerry's was confronted with the hypocrisy of their positions.
Ben & Jerry’s founders: “No Ice Cream for the mean Jews in Israel.”
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) October 11, 2021
Axios: What about no ice cream for people in America you disagree with?
Ben & Jerry’s: …uh…
Axios: Georgia, Florida, Texas?
Ben & Jerry’s: … (nervous silence)
Axios: ?
Car crashpic.twitter.com/wDazIQj0m1