Palika Makam: How a Beloved Product Can Pave the Way for Riskier Activism

Sep 12

Palika Makam: How a Beloved Product Can Pave the Way for Riskier Activism

UPDATE since we recorded!!! Check out Ben & Jerry’s new democracy-themed flavor – Churn Out the Vote – in stores and scoop shops now!

Listen in as Kristine and Palika discuss:

What closing a prison, cannabis equity, and the fighting the death penalty have to do with ice cream
What it means to work for a company that has been rooted in joy and justice, and how that can lure a community organizer into a corporate job
GOTV (get-out-the-vote) activism is great, but it’s just a start if you want real change
A community organizing career that spans from Cape Town to the West Bank to Ferguson, MO
What Palika learned from her mom about what it means to love your community and leave it better than you found it

Key Takeaways:

Voting can be soaring and aspirational, but sometimes it’s just a harm-reduction tool
A lot of companies made a lot of statements and promises after George Floyd’s murder, others (like Ben & Jerry’s) built on what they’ve always been doing – and went even further
Play and activism go hand in hand
How Ben & Jerry’s can rely on the power of its brand and the quality of its product to risk leaning in on “hard issues” like abortion, white supremacy, predatory cash bail
This is not convenient activism
Ben & Jerry’s gets approached all the time to lend its brand and team to vital social issues, and that door is always open

"When working with young people, it's impossible not to be playful. And it's some of the best lessons I've ever learned…If you can't imagine what the joyful, playful, beautiful future could look like, it's really hard to work on the problem right now." — Palika Makam

More about Palika Makam:

Palika is the US Activism Lead at Ben and Jerry’s, she is a Digital Strategist and Storyteller born and raised in a South Asian immigrant community. She learned everything she knows about cultivating community from her mother, the very first organizer she ever met. She has over a decade of experience running creative and strategic advocacy campaigns focused on racial, immigrant and criminal justice. She is especially passionate about decarcerating the over 2 million people trapped in jails, prisons and deportation centers across the United States. At the root of her work is the belief that everyone has a role in realizing a more equitable and beautiful world. Before Ben and Jerry’s, Palika was the Director of Digital Organizing at the anti-death penalty organization, 8th Amendment Project, where she helped stop several state sanctioned killings - sometimes just hours before an execution. Before that she was leading digital campaigns as the Senior Campaign Manager for the Criminal Justice and Democracy team at Color of Change, the largest Black led digital advocacy org in the country. She also has a background in video production and using video as an advocacy tool. She spent 5 years leading the US team at the international nonprofit, WITNESS, where she trained thousands of advocates and directly impacted people to use their cell phone cameras to expose police violence and deportations. While she was there she piloted a legal video advocacy program that is responsible for the release of 50 people on clemency and parole - an example of how thoughtful storytelling can do so much more than create awareness, but rather move people to action.

Connect with Palika:
Website: https://www.benjerry.com/flavors

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benandjerrys

Connect with Kristine:

Website: https://www.impactfullinc.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/impactfull_inc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristine-breese-michie/