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Iconic American ice cream brand Ben and Jerry's is the latest company to face the wrath of the right-wing and conservatives after its controversial 4th of July message. The dessert brand shared a tweet stating that the U.S. was "founded on stolen indigenous land" and further asking people to "commit to returning it."
Ben and Jerry's was founded in 1978 by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in Burlington, Vermont. The brand is known for its imaginative and cleverly named ice cream flavors incorporated with chunks of food and desserts.
The brand is also known for its political activism and stance that promotes social justice, including in the way they manufacture, sell, and market their products.
In April 2000, the ice cream multi-national sold itself to Unilever, under the condition that the British food giant keep advocating for and engaging in their progressive values.
Both Cohen and Greenfield continued to be employed by the company but not under "a position of operational or managerial responsibility." On May 8, 2023, Dave Stever, a former employee, was named as the CEO.
Some of the causes that the company supports include racial justice, fair trade, LGBTQ+ rights, environmental impact, and climate justice, and fair trade.
As the company's 4th of July message went viral, several right-wing internet users were left enraged.
"Stop buying the products": Netizens call for boycotting Ben and Jerry's products
Netizens continued to criticize Ben and Jerry's for their "woke" tweet and demanded that the company be boycotted just like the troubled brand, BudLight. Some even called the ice cream giant an "America-hating" corporation.
More about Ben and Jerry's controversial tweet
On June 30, 2023, the brand shared a blog post stating that the U.S. was born by stealing land from the indigenous people, and by returning the land starting with Mount Rushmore they hope to end "white supremacy and systems of oppression."
Additionally, it remarked that the Land Back Movement would "restore the rights and freedom of Indigenous people."
The post explained that the landmark site once belonged to the Lakota Sioux tribe who called it Tunkasila Sakpe and was sacred to them. They cite treaties that allowed the tribe to keep the land and Supreme Court rulings that demand the stolen land be returned with reparations.
Last month, the company announced that would stop buying ads on Twitter as the platform has become "dangerous" under Elon Musk's leadership.
Ben and Jerry's has not commented on the developing story at the time of writing this article.
