Ava DuVernay Makes History By Becoming The First Black Woman On A Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream
The first Black woman to be featured on the iconic Ben & Jerry’s pint is none other than Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay. In an announcement on Tuesday, the beloved ice cream company announced that the 50-year-old director – best known for Disney’s “Wrinkle in Time” and “Selma” is the face of a new flavor called Lights! Carmel! Action! The ice cream will feature salted caramel swirls, graham crackers swirls, and chocolate chip cookie dough, which was personally curated by DuVernay. In a statement released by Variety,DuVernay said, “Ice cream is a simple joy of life. A comfort food that I’ve turned to on many days — making sunny ones brighter and dark ones sweeter.” The primetime Emmy winner also added, “I’ve long admired [Ben & Jerry’s] for their commitment to social justice. I had the opportunity to work with food scientists to create a flavor with all the ingredients that I personally love for a cause close to my heart.”
DuVernay explains, her partnership with Ben & Jerry’s is aimed at amplifying the voices for women of color. She spoke with People Magazine saying, “There’s no women of color overall [on Ben & Jerry’s pints]. And so they understood that that’s something that they wanted to change, and I’m happy that I was able to be involved in being a part of that change. I’m not taking it too seriously, but I do think that it’s important to walk through doors that have not been opened. And it’s not an accomplishment because someone has closed the door and then opened it. It is an action that needs to be taken. And so I’m glad that they’ve done it. And if I can support that, I’m happy to do it.”
Additionally, DuVernay announced that proceeds from “Lights! Caramel! Action!” go to her non-profit, ARRAY Alliance, which she founded in 2011 to increase the representation of women directors and artists of color’s in Hollywood. Light! Carmel! Action! will hit the shelves in January 2023 and will be available in both dairy and non-dairy pints.
Lights! Caramel! Action! is packed with as much excitement and wonder as writer, director, and producer @ava's iconic films. Coming soon to freezers! Learn more: https://t.co/vsLWhjS8BF pic.twitter.com/CyTSEo4BmN
— Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys) December 6, 2022
