By Alastair James
Copyright thepinknews
Chance the Rapper is “heartbroken” by the decision by one of Ben & Jerry’s co-founders to step away from the business.
On Wednesday (17 September) Jerry Greenfield quit the company he set up with Ben Cohen in 1978 claiming the company’s social activism was being “silenced.” Since 2000, Ben & Jerry’s has sat under the Unilever brand.
In a statement shared by Cohen, Greenfield said his choice was one of the “hardest and most painful decisions.” He said the company’s independence, guaranteed by Unilever during the $326 million acquisition, had allowed the company to speak out “in support of peace, justice, and human rights.”
After 47 years, Jerry has made the difficult decision to step down from the company we built together. I’m sharing his words as he resigns from Ben & Jerry’s. His legacy deserves to be true to our values, not silenced by @MagnumGlobal #FreeBenAndJerrys pic.twitter.com/EZXGRjs76a— Ben Cohen (@YoBenCohen) September 17, 2025
Greenfield then lamented the apparent end of that guarantee and ability to speak out which he said came “at a time when our country’s current administration is attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBTQ community.”
Greenfield’s resignation also follows a long running row with Unilever over its pro-Palestine stance.
Reacting to Greenfield’s resignation, Chance the Rapper said he was “heartbroken.” The musician, who has been vocally against President Trump, posted on X/Twitter saying, “Ben & Jerry’s is the only major company I know of that has repeatedly lobbied for Black American Reparations.
“Two older men with access who have no incentive other than justice, are now being punished and silenced for their unwavering support of Palestine. I’m not heartbroken, im galvanized. We continue to fight the good fight.”
Black American reparations are policies and programmes designed to compensate and provide restitution to the descendants of enslaved African Americans for the lasting economic and social damage caused by slavery.
Ben & Jerry’s is the only major company I know of that has repeatedly lobbied for Black American Reparations. Two older men with access who have no incentive other than justice, are now being punished and silenced for their unwavering support of Palestine. I’m not heartbroken, im… https://t.co/OX3PQmaWaq— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) September 17, 2025
A page on the Ben & Jerry’s website states: “We support the urgent movement to end mass incarceration and systemic racism. And it’s also why we support reparations. From Wall Street to the White House, enslaved people built America, making us one of the richest countries on earth. While America’s wealth has grown exponentially since 1619, the bill for all that unpaid labor has been ignored.”
A spokesperson for The Magnum Ice Cream Company – a new division of Unilever which is expected to be separately listed later this year – told the BBC: “We disagree with [Greenfield’s] perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world.”
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