When even Ben & Jerry's can't speak out, it's clear: the era of corporate responsibility is over | Austin Sarat

"As the Trump administration has ramped up its assault on American democracy, many corporations have chosen to look the other way or to curry favor with the president. They have fired employees who were too outspoken in their criticism of Donald Trump ABC's suspension of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night talkshow, after Kimmel's remarks about Maga's reaction to the killing of Charlie Kirk, is the latest example."

"Or corporations have muted their brand's identification with progressive causes. One casualty is Jerry Greenfield, co-founder and namesake of Ben & Jerry's ice-cream. This week, he resigned from the company. He did so because, he said in a statement, the politically outspoken company had been silenced. The consumer goods company Unilever acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000, for a reported $326m. At the time, it agreed to respect the company's independence. No more, according to Greenfield."

"Ben & Jerry's crossed swords with Unilever last year when it sued the company for allegedly fighting its calls for a Gaza ceasefire and an end to US military support for Israel. The 2024 suit claimed that Unilever had threatened to dismantle the ice-cream company's independent board and punish members if Ben & Jerry's issued a call for a ceasefire. (Unilever said it rejected the claims made by B&J's social mission board. Its motion to dismiss the lawsuit is pending.)"

Corporate behavior shifted toward accommodation of political power, with companies firing outspoken employees and avoiding alignment with progressive causes. Jerry Greenfield resigned from Ben & Jerry's, stating the politically outspoken company had been silenced and sidelined. Unilever, which acquired Ben & Jerry's in 2000 and agreed to respect its independence, faces accusations of undermining that autonomy. Ben & Jerry's sued Unilever, alleging efforts to block calls for a Gaza ceasefire and threats to dismantle the independent board. Unilever denies those claims and has moved to dismiss the suit. Additional allegations claim Unilever fired Ben & Jerry's CEO over advancing the company's social mission.

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