Standing up for a good cause. In the aftermath of George Floyd’s death, several food brands have committed to supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and other related causes in a variety of ways.
One of the first companies to pledge its support of Black Lives Matter was Chrissy Teigen‘s Cravings brand. In an Instagram post from June 2, the Cravings Instagram page noted that the company was following in the footsteps of its “fearless” founder.
“Cravings supports all individuals calling for justice after the murder of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and countless others,” the powerful statement read. “We are heartbroken for their families and share the anger and grief of those around the country.”
Though the post doesn’t mention Teigen by name, it continued: “We stand with our founder and we’re so proud that she is fearless about standing up for justice and the freedom to peacefully protest. We at Cravings believe that every human being deserves the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and too many of our African-American brothers and sisters have been denied these rights for too long.”
The poignant update ended with the phrase, “Black Lives Matter,” and was signed by the Cravings team.
Another brand that released an impactful statement about the importance of Black Lives Matter and the fight against racism was Ben & Jerry’s. The ice cream company, which was founded by Ben Cohen, Jerry Greenfield in 1978, shared a lengthy post on its website on June 3.
The entry, titled “Silence is NOT an Option,” began with a plea to all Americans to not forget Floyd, as well as Arbery and Taylor. “The murder of George Floyd was the result of inhumane police brutality that is perpetuated by a culture of white supremacy,” it read. “What happened to George Floyd was not the result of a bad apple; it was the predictable consequence of a racist and prejudiced system and culture that has treated Black bodies as the enemy from the beginning.”
The post, which featured a graphic reading “Dismantle White Supremacy,” went on to detail four critical actions Ben & Jerry’s supports, including urging Congress to pass HR 40 and echoing Floyd’s family in calling for the establishment of “a national task force that would draft bipartisan legislation aimed at ending racial violence and increasing police accountability.” The Vermont-based business also urged the Department of Justice to “reinvigorate” its Civil Rights Division.
“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,” the post concluded. “We have to use this moment to accelerate our nation’s long journey towards justice and a more perfect union.”
Support from various food brands came about two weeks after Floyd died after Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin held his knee down on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes. The incident was filmed in a now-viral video, which shows Floyd telling officers, “I can’t breathe.” Chauvin and the other three officers involved have now been arrested, as protests around the globe continue.
Scroll down to see what other food companies are doing to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement.