It’s no surprise to anybody that Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream brand has been involved in years of activism. In recent news, Unilever (its parent company) has been disagreeing with B&J over political issues. Unfortunately, the political issue had to do with starving people in Gaza. Ben & Jerry’s previously sued its parent company and settled on the matters. However, now things are taking a more serious turn. One of the company’s co-founders, Jerry Greenfield, is resigning from the company after leading the business for decades, since the early days in Vermont.
“It’s with a broken heart that I’ve decided I can no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee of Ben & Jerry’s. I am resigning from the company Ben and I started back in 1978,” said Jerry Greenfield, the ‘Jerry’ in the brand’s name, in his farewell post on Twitter. He explains what we already now know: Unilever is quite evil and doesn’t agree on his Gaza stance. Meanwhile, Ben & Jerry’s was doing everything possible in the world of activism. This includes Ben Cohen’s arrest during a protest in early 2025.
Jerry goes on to say that all of this is happening “at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community.” He feels like being with Unilever left Ben & Jerry’s silenced from what they believe for far too long. At the end, he gives a heartfelt: “It was always about more than just ice cream. It was a way to spread love and invite others into the fight for equity, justice, and a better world.”
Judging by the comments, it’s clear that some people get it while others don’t. One person took this as an opportunity to chime in, “I’m not a fan of their ice cream. It’s expensive and contains artificial food coloring.” Luckily, Jerry’s words made so much sense to others.
One commenter said, “My boy stood on business for a long time, respect.” That perfectly describes Jerry’s almost 50 years with the company. He hung on and he tried his best to have his voice be heard in times of turmoil, and stand up for what’s right.
