Ava DuVernay first Black woman featured on pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream

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Ava DuVernay can now be seen on the cover of a pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The Academy Award-nominated filmmaker has become the first Black woman ever to have her image on the pint cover of the ice cream company.

Ben & Jerry announced the news on its website on Tuesday. The home page features the new pint with DuVernay on the cover. “Lights! Caramel! Action! directed by Ava DuVernay,” it reads. The pint contains vanilla ice cream with salted caramel swirls, graham cracker swirls, and “gobs” of chocolate chip cookie dough.

The new flavor will be available in January 2023 in both milk-based and non-dairy versions. DuVernay personally curated its flavor profile herself, according to NBC News.

“In her directorial debut of an ice cream thriller, we present Ava DuVernay’s Lights, Caramel, Action! Guaranteed to be a hit in freezers nationwide, this flavor gives back through Ava’s ARRAY Alliance, advancing social justice through art,” a statement on the website reads.

Matthew McCarthy, Ben & Jerry’s CEO, praised DuVernay for her work and their collaboration. “Framing this up as a new flavor for the first Black woman to be a featured partner on our pints doesn’t do Ava justice,” McCarthy said. “We are humbled by this partnership, impressed by her work sharing not only the struggle but the joy in the justice, and we are inspired by her commitment and vision.”

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Proceeds from the sales of Lights! Caramel! Action! will benefit ARRAY, DuVernay’s nonprofit company that helps aid in the profile and mentorship of Black and women filmmakers.

“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,” DuVernay said.

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Continued DuVernay, “Partnering with Ben & Jerry’s, a company that I’ve long admired for their commitment to social justice, has been a thrill ride. 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. Beyond being downright delicious, proceeds from further its non-profit mission of inclusion and belonging in the film and TV industries. A worthy and delicious endeavor.”

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