Ava DuVernay makes history as the first Black woman on a Ben & Jerry's ice cream pint

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Ava DuVernay makes history as the first Black woman on a Ben & Jerry's ice cream pint
Ava DuVernay.Hannibal Hanschke/Reuters
  • Ava DuVernay will become the first Black woman on a Ben & Jerry's pint.
  • Her flavor Lights! Caramel! Action! features cookie dough, graham crackers, and salted caramel.
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Acclaimed director Ava DuVernay continues to make history — not just at the movies, but in the frozen food aisle, too.

DuVernay will become the first Black woman to appear on a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, a new flavor appropriately titled Lights! Caramel! Action!, People reported.

A post shared by Ben & Jerry's (@benandjerrys)

The frozen treat consists of vanilla ice cream, swirls of salted caramel and graham crackers, and chocolate chip cookie dough chunks. "First of all, chocolate chip cookie dough. What more needs to be said?" the "Selma" director said of her flavor invention. She also loves the other ingredients in the dessert.

DuVernay said she's not taking the honor "too seriously" but she is proud to open doors that need to be opened. She explained that Ben & Jerry's, a long-time socially conscious brand, knew that there had been "no women of color" featured on their products — and wanted to change that.

Ava DuVernay makes history as the first Black woman on a Ben & Jerry's ice cream pint
DuVernay's new flavor is all about taking action while enjoying cookie dough.Facebook/Ben & Jerry's

"I'm happy that I was able to be involved in being a part of that change," DuVernay said, describing the step not as an accomplishment, but "an action that needs to be taken."

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Lights! Caramel! Action! will begin shipping nationwide in January 2023 and DuVernay said she was deliberate in including "action" in the name of her ice cream flavor for a reason. Proceeds from its sales will go to her non-profit, ARRAY Alliance, which she said "looks at creating equitable systems in the entertainment industry."

"When I thought of [the name], of 'action' — that's what we're asking people to take. Whether it's you're deciding what you want to consume in the way of ice cream, how you feel when you walk out of a film and actually taking action," DuVernay explained. "And not just letting it entertain you, but rising to the challenge of what the story might reveal about history, about people."

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