The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is facing public backlash after adding a Juneteenth watermelon salad to its menu for the month.
RELATED STORIES: Walmart To Remove Juneteenth Ice Cream After Public Backlash
The watermelon salad was added to “raise awareness” about Juneteenth and commemorate the federal holiday
It was placed on the museum’s cafeteria shelves as a limited-edition menu item for the month. According to TMZ, a representative from the museum claims their food service partners “planned Juneteenth menu as a way for us to raise awareness of the holiday’s meaning and commemorate their own family traditions.” The rep also claimed that “red foods have historically served by some to remember the blood that was shed along the way to freedom” in reference to the watermelon fruit. Watermelon salad is made with the following ingredients: red onion, cucumber, feta cheese, avocado, mint, watermelon, and lime dressing.
However, the museum issued an apology for the menu item and said they acknowledged how negative stereotypes have affected communities of color.
RELATED STORIES: Donald Trump Changed The Date Of Juneteenth Rally After Black Secret Service Agent Called It “Offensive”
“The museum apologizes and acknowledges the negative impact that stereotypes have on communities of color. We have removed the salad from our menu. We value our relationships with all of our visitors and communities. We have learned from this experience.”
The children’s museum is also hosting a “Juneteenth Jamboree” on June 18 where it will commemorate the holiday’s significance of the United States ending slavery.
Walmart issued a similar apology for creating a Juneteenth-themed flavor
Walmart faced backlash two weeks ago after a photo of their Juneteenth decorations and ice cream made its rounds on social media. Additionally, the flavor of the ice cream was described to be cream cheese red velvet cake.
“[The]Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence. However, we received feedback that a few items caused concern for some of our customers and we sincerely apologize. We are reviewing our assortment and will remove items as appropriate.”
The two situations were compared on Twitter as concerns rise about the holiday being marketed as a money maker for companies to profit off of. Juneteenth became a federal holiday last year after a bill was signed by President Biden.