Colin Kaepernick has teamed up with Ben & Jerry's to create his own ice cream flavor

Like many other celebrities, Colin Kaepernick finally has his own Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor. On Thursday, the progressive ice cream brand revealed 'Change the Whirled,' its new vegan frozen treat. The ice cream is made with caramel non-dairy sunflower butter and fudge chips with graham crackers as well as chocolate cookies swirled (or "whirled") in. In a statement, the company shared that it created the flavor in order to celebrate "Kaepernick's courageous work to confront systemic oppression and to stop police violence against Black and Brown people," CNN reports. Kaepernick, a former NFL athlete, is best known for taking a knee during the national anthem as a stand against police brutality.

The ice cream brand continued in their statement, "Ben & Jerry's believes Kaepernick represents the very best of us, willing to use his power and platform in the pursuit of equity and justice rooted in a commitment to love and resistance." A portion of the sales revenue from the ice cream will be used to support the work of Kaepernick's "Know Your Rights" organization, whose mission is to "advance the liberation and well-being of Black and Brown communities through education, self-empowerment, mass-mobilization, and the creation of new systems that elevate the next generation of change leaders." The organization's most popular program teaches young children of color how to handle interactions with the police.

Kaepernick said he was honored to participate in a collaboration with Ben & Jerry's. "Their commitment to challenging the anti-Black roots of policing in the United States demonstrates a material concern for the well-being of Black and Brown communities," the former NFL-er said in a statement. "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." The ice cream flavor is scheduled to hit the shelves in supermarkets across the country in early 2021.

The football star rose to fame in 2016 when he first remained seated during the national anthem before playing an NFL game. He later began taking a knee. Soon enough, other athletes joined in one his one-man protest. In this manner, Kaepernick raised awareness about police brutality and its disproportionate impacts on people of color, particularly Black folks. Since his contract with the San Francisco 49ers ended following the 2016 regular season, he has not played a single game. He has, instead, dedicated himself to social justice.

In 2019, the football star settled a lawsuit with the NFL for alleged collusion to keep him out of the league. A year earlier, he was the focus of Nike's viral 30th anniversary "Just Do It" ad campaign. Now, fans can get involved in his mission to end racial injustice by simply eating his "Change the Whirled" Ben & Jerry's ice cream.