Surprise: The emancipation-themed party gear did not go over well
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images It’s almost Juneteenth, one of many occasions throughout the year for celebrities, companies, and politicians to put their foot in their mouth while attempting to acknowledge our country’s long history of racism. Juneteenth, widely recognized as the anniversary of the end of slavery, became a federal holiday last year and has apparently inspired Walmart to roll out a Juneteenth-themed ice-cream flavor .
They didn’t stop there. In addition to the ice cream , Walmart introduced an assortment of Juneteenth-themed party supplies, which include red-yellow-and-green napkins, paper plates, and beer cozies, one of which features the slogan “It’s the freedom for me.” Elsewhere in the store, there appear to be Juneteenth-themed wine, water bottles, and commemorative T-shirts.
. As a few Twitter users pointed out, Walmart’s Juneteenth flavor bears a striking resemblance to one made by Creamalicious, a Black-owned ice cream also sold at Walmart, suggesting the brand ripped off the product to profit off the holiday. Others pointed to the many recent instances of racism in Walmart’s stores and workforce. An internal survey last year offered a bleak view of Black Walmart employees’ experiences, with most Black senior managers saying they wouldn’t recommend working at the retail giant.
In response to the backlash, Walmart rushed to pull the ice-cream flavor, issuing an apology on Monday that did not address the company’s underlying racial issues. “Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence,” the company said in a statement. “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.” I guess they’re still listening and learning.
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