+
upworthy
Most Shared

5 things you may not have known about Ben and Jerry before their protest arrest.

Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream have done some pretty cool things.

The hippie ice cream moguls have made innumerable contributions to the American snack lexicon and have crafted some of the most delightfully indulgent ice cream concoctions in history.


Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images.

Honestly, where would America be without Cherry Garcia? Half Baked? Phish Food?! If this duo hadn't shoved potato chips into a quart of vanilla caramel ice cream back in 2011, we'd all just be sitting around our homes wondering if dreams really do come true.

Beyond an incredible knack for inventing ice cream flavors you didn't even know you needed, Ben and Jerry tout a long and proud history of social consciousness and responsibility.

It was this long history that came to a head on Monday, April 18, 2016, when the two co-founders were arrested outside the U.S. Capitol. Ben and Jerry were taking part in the "Democracy Awakening" protest that converged on the Capitol building and led to the arrests of over 300 people.

Democracy Awakening, which is tied to the "Democracy Spring" protests that occurred earlier in April, is a protest to "protect voting rights, get big money out of politics and demand a fair hearing and an up or down vote on President Obama's Supreme Court nominee."

The Democracy Awakening protest in Washington D.C. Photo by Mike Theiler/AFP/Getty Images.

It's kind of awesome that Ben and Jerry care so much about social issues that they're willing to get publicly arrested defending them.

There are a lot of issues that Ben and Jerry care about as individuals and as a company — issues they've folded into their company as naturally as they fold caramel ribbons into ice cream.

Here are five issues you may not have known Ben and Jerry really care about:

1. They want the government to fight climate change.

Warming temperatures means melted ice cream, drowning cities, global famine, and general catastrophe.

Whichever of those is the scariest to you, Ben and Jerry have done their part to educate and participate in the climate movement for a long time. They even made a video showing what happens to ice cream when it's just 2 degrees warmer:

GIF via Ben & Jerry's/YouTube.

It might look delicious, but it would be pretty disastrous for the planet.

2. They want the "dough" out of politics.

Dough as in money, obviously. That's their pun, not mine.

The issue of corporate influence on our elections has been front and center in the 2016 election. In fact, it was one of the biggest issues in the Democracy Awakening protests. So you can bet that it's one Ben and Jerry care about a lot:

"At Ben & Jerry’s, we love dough so much, we invented Cookie Dough ice cream. But dough doesn’t mix so well with democracy. In fact, there’s so much big money flooding into our elections in the United States that the voice of regular folks is being drowned out."

Ben Cohen also made his own Bernie Sanders-themed flavor after the Iowa Caucus called "Bernie's Yearning," which claims to be made of "political revolution." Mmm. Delicious political revolution.

3. They want the farmers they work with to be treated fairly.

Ben & Jerry's gets its ingredients from all over the world, including from many developing countries. For example, they get vanilla from Uganda, coffee from Mexico, and even bananas from Ecuador.

A cocoa farm in Ecuador. Photo by Rodrigo Buendia/AFP/Getty Images.

Ben and Jerry want the farmers who produce those ingredients to be treated respectfully, paid fairly, and of course, to use environmentally conscious practices.

"Ben & Jerry's is committed to sourcing Fairtrade ingredients as a way to improve the livelihoods of small family farmers around the world. As of January 2015, all of our pint, mini cup and scoop shop flavors are made with Fairtrade certified ingredients like sugar, cocoa, vanilla, coffee, and bananas."

Now that you know that, you won't have to feel as guilty when you "accidentally" eat a whole pint in one sitting.

4. They want LGBT equality. Because duh.

And even though marriage equality was declared law by the Supreme Court last summer, Ben and Jerry know that the fight is far from over.

"There’s more to be done, and we’re certainly not done yet! LGBT folks still face discrimination in housing, employment, and health care. Thirty-one states have no laws protecting the LGBT community from discrimination. And the statistics around violence based on sexual orientation or gender identity are startling and sobering."

In 1989, Ben & Jerry's was said to be the first company in Vermont to offer health insurance to domestic partners of employees including same-sex couples. Which, as they note, shouldn't have been a revolutionary gesture.

Since then, they've fought and continue to fight for equal rights for the LGBT community. It makes a lot of sense because, admit it, no matter who you love, you probably love ice cream just a liiiiittle more.

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Ben & Jerry's.

5. They want world peace. Yeah. That's right.

No goal is too lofty or idealistic for the people that dreamed up Chunky Monkey. Ben & Jerry's is committed to creating a peaceful society. They're basically the opposite of a Bond villain.

It's not just a psychedelic tree-hugging fantasy either. They have a plan.

They're constantly supporting political efforts, grass-roots movements, and business relationships that will help usher us toward world peace. If that's not a worthy issue, I don't know what is.

Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Ben & Jerry's.

When Ben and Jerry were arrested on Capitol Hill, it wasn't because they wanted to break the law. It was because they were fighting, as they always have, for a better world.

Ben and Jerry might just make ice cream, but their commitment to social consciousness makes them so much more.

When Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield lay their heads down to sleep (possibly on a prison-issue pillow) they probably dream of ice cream — ice cream made with fair trade ingredients and consumed by a peaceful, equal, and loving population.

That's a pretty awesome Americone Dream if you ask me.

Identity

Celebrate International Women's Day with these stunning photos of female leaders changing the world

The portraits, taken by acclaimed photographer Nigel Barker, are part of CARE's "She Leads the World" campaign.

Images provided by CARE

Kadiatu (left), Zainab (right)

True

Women are breaking down barriers every day. They are transforming the world into a more equitable place with every scientific discovery, athletic feat, social justice reform, artistic endeavor, leadership role, and community outreach project.

And while these breakthroughs are happening all the time, International Women’s Day (Mar 8) is when we can all take time to acknowledge the collective progress, and celebrate how “She Leads the World.

This year, CARE, a leading global humanitarian organization dedicated to empowering women and girls, is celebrating International Women’s Day through the power of portraiture. CARE partnered with high-profile photographer Nigel Barker, best known for his work on “America’s Next Top Model,” to capture breathtaking images of seven remarkable women who have prevailed over countless obstacles to become leaders within their communities.

“Mabinty, Isatu, Adama, and Kadiatu represent so many women around the world overcoming incredible obstacles to lead their communities,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA.

Barker’s bold portraits, as part of CARE’s “She Leads The World” campaign, not only elevate each woman’s story, but also shine a spotlight on how CARE programs helped them get to where they are today.

About the women:

Mabinty

international womens day, care.org

Mabinty is a businesswoman and a member of a CARE savings circle along with a group of other women. She buys and sells groundnuts, rice, and fuel. She and her husband have created such a successful enterprise that Mabinty volunteers her time as a teacher in the local school. She was the first woman to teach there, prompting a second woman to do so. Her fellow teachers and students look up to Mabinty as the leader and educator she is.

Kadiatu

international womens day, care.org

Kadiatu supports herself through a small business selling food. She also volunteers at a health clinic in the neighboring village where she is a nursing student. She tests for malaria, works with infants, and joins her fellow staff in dancing and singing with the women who visit the clinic. She aspires to become a full-time nurse so she can treat and cure people. Today, she leads by example and with ambition.

Isatu

international womens day, care.org

When Isatu was three months pregnant, her husband left her, seeking his fortune in the gold mines. Now Isatu makes her own way, buying and selling food to support her four children. It is a struggle, but Isatu is determined to be a part of her community and a provider for her kids. A single mother of four is nothing if not a leader.

Zainab

international womens day, care.org

Zainab is the Nurse in Charge at the Maternal Child Health Outpost in her community. She is the only nurse in the surrounding area, and so she is responsible for the pre-natal health of the community’s mothers-to-be and for the safe delivery of their babies. In a country with one of the world’s worst maternal death rates, Zainab has not lost a single mother. The community rallies around Zainab and the work she does. She describes the women who visit the clinic as sisters. That feeling is clearly mutual.

Adama

international womens day, care.org

Adama is something few women are - a kehkeh driver. A kehkeh is a three-wheeled motorcycle taxi, known elsewhere as a tuktuk. Working in the Kissy neighborhood of Freetown, Adama is the primary breadwinner for her family, including her son. She keeps her riders safe in other ways, too, by selling condoms. With HIV threatening to increase its spread, this is a vital service to the community.

Ya Yaebo

international womens day, care.org

“Ya” is a term of respect for older, accomplished women. Ya Yaebo has earned that title as head of her local farmers group. But there is much more than that. She started as a Village Savings and Loan Association member and began putting money into her business. There is the groundnut farm, her team buys and sells rice, and own their own oil processing machine. They even supply seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture. She has used her success to the benefit of people in need in her community and is a vocal advocate for educating girls, not having gone beyond grade seven herself.

On Monday, March 4, CARE will host an exhibition of photography in New York City featuring these portraits, kicking off the multi-day “She Leads the World Campaign.

Learn more, view the portraits, and join CARE’s International Women's Day "She Leads the World" celebration at CARE.org/sheleads.


Health

Over or under? Surprisingly, there actually is a 'correct' way to hang a toilet paper roll.

Let's settle this silly-but-surprisingly-heated debate once and for all.

Elya/Wikimedia Commons

Should you hang the toilet paper roll over or under?



Upworthy book

Humans have debated things large and small over the millennia, from the democracy to breastfeeding in public to how often people ought to wash their sheets.

But perhaps the most silly-yet-surprisingly-heated household debate is the one in which we argue over which way to hang the toilet paper roll.

The "over or under" question has plagued marriages and casual acquaintances alike for over 100 years, with both sides convinced they have the soundest reasoning for putting their toilet paper loose end out or loose end under. Some people feel so strongly about right vs. wrong TP hanging that they will even flip the roll over when they go to the bathroom in the homes of strangers.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not merely an inconsequential preference. There is actually a "correct" way to hang toilet paper, according to health experts as well as the man who invented the toilet paper roll in the first place.

Keep ReadingShow less
via Anna Trupiano / Facebook

First-grade teacher Anna Trupiano

Anna Trupiano is a first-grade teacher at a school that serves deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing students from birth through eighth grade.

In addition to teaching the usual subjects, Trupiano is charged with helping her students thrive in a society that doesn't do enough to cater to the needs of the hard-of-hearing.

Keep ReadingShow less

Brielle Asero lost her job after 2 months.

TikTokker Brielle Asero, 21, a recent college graduate, went viral on TikTok in October for her emotional reaction to the first day at a 9-to-5 job. The video, which received 3.4 million views, captured the public’s attention because it was like a cultural Rorschach test.

Some who saw the video thought that Asero came off as entitled and exemplified the younger generation’s lack of work ethic. In contrast, others sympathized with the young woman who is just beginning to understand how hard it is to find work-life balance in modern-day America.

“I’m so upset,” she says in the video. "I get on the train at 7:30 a.m., and I don't get home until 6:15 p.m. [at the] earliest. I don't have time to do anything!" Asero said in a video.

Keep ReadingShow less
Family

Harvard psychologists have been studying what it takes to raise 'good' kids. Here are 6 tips.

Help unlock your child's best self with a few tried-and-true strategies.

Kids playing baseball with a slide into second.


A lot of parents are tired of being told how technology is screwing up their kids.

Moms and dads of the digital age are well aware of the growing competition for their children's attention, and they're bombarded at each turn of the page or click of the mouse with both cutting-edge ideas and newfound worries for raising great kids.

Keep ReadingShow less


If you just got married, chances are lots of people think they know what your life is like.

These people are totally well-meaning! And also, mostly wrong.

Being married isn't exactly like it used to be. Which is great, as there are so many different, amazing ways to be newlyweds than ever before. But it's also occasionally frustrating, as we newlyweds are frequently forced to dispel a lot of myths about our relationships.

So let's get them out of the way in one fell swoop.

Here are the most common (but mistaken) assumptions strangers make when you're a newlywed couple, and what our lives are really like.

Keep ReadingShow less

Around 1 a.m. on April 24, semi-truck drivers in the Oak Park area of Michigan received a distress call from area police: An unidentified man was standing on the edge of a local bridge, apparently ready to jump onto the freeway below.

Those drivers then did something amazing. They raced to the scene to help — and lined up their trucks under the bridge, providing a relatively safe landing space should the man jump.

Keep ReadingShow less