Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay is making history as the first Black woman to have her image on a Ben & Jerry’s pint.
The beloved ice cream company announced on Tuesday that the 50-year-old — best known for directing popular blockbuster hits such as Disney’s “Wrinkle in Time” and “Selma” — is the face of a new flavor called Lights! Caramel! Action!
“Directed” and personally curated by DuVernay, the ice cream flavor features a mix of vanilla ice cream with salted caramel swirls, graham cracker swirls and gobs of chocolate chip cookie dough.
Available in both milk-based and non-dairy versions, the pints will begin shipping across the country next month.
“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 in a statement, per Variety.
Calling the opportunity to partner with the long-running ice cream company a “thrill ride,” the primetime Emmy winner added, “I’ve long admired [Ben & Jerry’s] for their commitment to social justice. 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.”
According to DuVernay, amplifying women of color is a major reason behind her team-up with Ben & Jerry’s.
Speaking to People, she explained: “There’s no women of color overall [on Ben & Jerry’s pints]. And so they understood that that’s something that they wanted to change, and I’m happy that I was able to be involved in being a part of that change.”
She added, “I’m not taking it too seriously, but I do think that it’s important to walk through doors that have not been opened. And it’s not an accomplishment because someone has closed the door and then opened it. It is an action that needs to be taken. And so I’m glad that they’ve done it. And if I can support that, I’m happy to do it.”
DuVernay also noted that the proceeds of “Lights! Caramel! Action!” will benefit her non-profit, ARRAY Alliance, which she founded in 2011 to increase the representation of artists of color and women directors.
The new ice cream will not have a limited run and will be available in the U.S. in January 2023.
