May 27, 2016
Back in May, we participated in an exhilarating 30-hour marathon of peace, love, and Empower Mint—and we’re more convinced than ever that we need to get our democracy back on track.
Free Pints? Free Pints!
We took that very message to the United States Capitol and surprised all 535 Members of Congress with a free special delivery of people-powered pints. Empower Mint, after all, is all about ensuring that everyone in our country gets to experience a big delicious helping of empowerment.
When you turn on the news, you always see politicians arguing. But we found there’s at least one thing all of our elected leaders can agree on: ice cream. Everybody loves ice cream. We roamed the hallways of all six congressional office buildings, leaving bipartisan smiles in our wake.
But, to be completely honest, our visit wasn’t ONLY about spreading love and handing out pints. We hand-delivered a letter from our co-founders, Ben and Jerry, to every Member of Congress as well. a letter asking them to repair the damage done by the Supreme Court’s disastrous 2013 decision that all but crippled the Voting Rights Act.
We’ve always believed that a scoop or three of ice cream makes any message easier to swallow.
Taking Ice Cream to the Streets
Once we finished making our fun rounds on Capitol Hill, we took another vanload of ice cream out to the people. We’ve never seen so many happy faces. College kids, office workers, police officers, tourists: for over an hour we handed out Empower Mint to everyone who came by. When word began to spread, more and more people arrived—by bike, subway, car, and on foot—looking for a sweet treat. It was a perfect storm of euphoria: a warm day, some cold ice cream, and plenty of happiness to spare.
North Carolina and Beyond
We started our trip in North Carolina on Tuesday, where we officially launched our new flavor. We felt a similar sense of hope and optimism in Durham listening to the inspiring Reverend William Barber and others highlight the need for citizens to stand together in opposition to the state’s worst-in-the-nation voter-suppression law.
They all demanded action from a slow-acting Congress—which, to be fair, has been super-busy establishing a new standard for doing nothing. Well, let’s show our leaders what doing the people’s work looks like. We each have to do whatever we can—whether it’s delivering free ice cream, or writing letters, or calling, or visiting their offices—to wake our Senators and Congresspeople up. Keep the pressure on!
A New Hope
The good news is that change is already underway. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can ensure that all citizens can vote and have their voices heard. Together, we can make good on the beautiful promise of our democracy.
You know what? That sounds even better than free ice cream.
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Do A Waffle Lotta Good With Every Waffle Cone!
Your waffle cone just got even sweeter! From Oct. 3 to 17, we’re donating $1 for every waffle cone purchased in Scoop Shops to Advancement Project, a national civil rights organization working to progress human rights and build power in local communities.
