After facing backlash on social media, Walmart decided to remove its Juneteenth ice cream from shelves.
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Over the weekend, images of the Juneteenth-themed ice cream and party decorations surfaced on social media where users questioned why Walmart used the holiday as an opportunity to profit off the black community. On the ice cream packaging, Walmart’s Great Value brand says tells customers to “Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation, and enduring hope.” The ice cream flavor was listed as red velvet with cheesecake.
“[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,” Walmart said in a statement to FOX News.
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Juneteenth became a federal holiday last June after President Joe Biden signed a bill. The holiday was celebrated in Galveston, Texas every June 19 to commemorate the remaining slaves who were informed by Union troops that they were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865.
Black Twitter also suggested for people support black-owned ice cream brand Creamalicious by buying the same red velvet flavor that Walmart was promoting.
SOURCE: The Hill