When Walmart released its Juneteenth ice cream, the outrage was immediate. Not only was it the exact same flavor combo as Black woman-owned Creamalicious's red velvet and cheesecake ice cream, but it also represented the bald commodification of the holiday's spirit. Walmart eventually issued an apology and removed the product from its shelves.
But Walmart isn’t the only organization that has landed in hot water for its food-based Juneteenth mess-ups. There was also the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, which offered up a watermelon salad as part of its Juneteenth spread, invoking an offensive stereotype. They, too, faced public outcries and had to backtrack their ill-conceived plans. These businesses seem to go through the motions of appearing inclusive, but their surface level understanding of Juneteenth instead disrespects the history of and meaning behind the holiday in the first place.
