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Ben & Jerry's honors Colin Kaepernick with new ice cream flavor — here's our review

The social justice activist has collaborated with Ben & Jerry's on a new ice cream "Change the Whirled" to benefit his Know Your Rights Camp.
Kaepernick is a vegan, and his Ben & Jerry's collaboration reflects that stance.
Kaepernick is a vegan, and his Ben & Jerry's collaboration reflects that stance.Ben & Jerrys
/ Source: TODAY

Colin Kaepernick has enlisted Ben & Jerry's in his fight for change.

The social activist and former NFL quarterback and the popular ice cream company announced Thursday that they have collaborated on "Change the Whirled," a new permanent flavor that will officially launch next year.

In keeping with Ben & Jerry's activism with social justice issues, all of Kaepernick's proceeds from the collaboration will go to his Know Your Rights Camp, whose goal is the advancement of Black and Brown communities.

Ben & Jerry's has collaborated with Colin Kaepernick on a new "Change the Whirled" flavor.
Ben & Jerry's has collaborated with Colin Kaepernick on a new "Change the Whirled" flavor. Ben & Jerrys

I gave the new flavor a rigorous test on Thursday, meaning my wife and I ate it while watching "Jeopardy!" to continue a pandemic ritual that has helped keep us moderately sane.

I wanted to know if people will actually enjoy Change the Whirled or wish they just made a donation instead.

Kaepernick is a vegan, and his Ben & Jerry's collaboration reflects that stance. I got a little nervous when my wife read the container and said it was "a non-dairy frozen dessert" because that sounded alarmingly healthy.

The words "healthy" and "dessert" are not allowed to be combined in my world. I want to be laid out like a beached whale on the couch by the time "Wheel of Fortune" starts, which Change the Whirled thankfully still delivered.

I had never had vegan ice cream before, even though Ben & Jerry's launched a vegan line in 2016. I'm happy to report that Change the Whirled was smoother than Kaepernick running in the open field against the Packers in the 2013 playoffs.

It's officially a "caramel non-dairy sunflower butter base," according to the news release. It tasted even creamier than my usual Ben & Jerry's holy trinity of Chunky Monkey, Cherry Garcia and Peanut Butter Cup.

It's also made with graham cracker swirls, which added just the right amount of crunch to the creaminess. There's also fudge chips and chocolate cookie swirls, so they don't skimp on the sugar rush.

The collaboration is the latest social justice initiative involving Kaepernick, who became a lightning rod in 2016 when he began kneeling for the national anthem in protest of police brutality while on the San Francisco 49ers.

It effectively spelled the end of his NFL career and drew the ire of President Donald Trump. However, four years later, Kaepernick's ongoing fight against racial injustice and police brutality was seen in a whole new light by many following the worldwide protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

"We deeply respect how Colin uses his voice to protest racism, white supremacy and police violence through the belief that ‘love is at the root of our resistance.' We have tremendous hope in what we can accomplish together,” Ben & Jerry's CEO Matthew McCarthy said in a statement.

"I'm honored to partner with Ben & Jerry's on Change the Whirled," Kaepernick said in a statement. "Their commitment to challenging the anti-Black roots of policing in the United States demonstrates a material concern for the wellbeing of Black and Brown communities. My hope is that this partnership will amplify calls to defund and abolish the police and to invest in futures that can make us safer, healthier, and truly free."

Kaepernick joins Steven Colbert, Jerry Garcia and Jimmy Fallon among those who have gotten a permanent Ben & Jerry's flavor.

Change the Whirled also continues the Vermont-based brand's outspoken activism, which includes messages about fighting for a higher minimum wage and drug decriminalization to calling out police policies it views as racist.