Walmart Recalls Juneteenth Ice Cream After Backlash

Walmart has issued an apology for distributing ice cream themed after Juneteenth, a federal U.S. holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

Over the weekend, outlets including The Shade Room reported that the chain had begun selling pints of ice cream labeled “Juneteenth Ice Cream” as part of the “Celebration Edition.”

The flavor, part of the store’s “Great Value” brand, was described as swirled red velvet and cheesecake.

"Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation and enduring hope," added the label.

Almost immediately, social media users criticized the conglomerate for appearing to profit off of the holiday, which took decades to become federally recognized.

“Anything for the Black dollar. Ours is for take,” one Instagram user wrote.

“Here they go profiting off of Black people again,” wrote a different commentor.

In response to the story, rapper Waka Flocka Flame wrote to The Shade Room, “What would be doper is if all the capital made in each state [was] donated to Black owned businesses and schools … what y’all think??”

In a statement to FOX stations on Monday, Walmart issued an apology for the insensitive move.

"Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence," the company said. "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."

As reported by FOX stations as well as TMZ on Tuesday, Walmart officially took the product off shelves.

Last June, the House of Representatives voted 415–14 in favor of establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday — days after the Senate’s unanimous vote.

Following the Black Lives Matter protests that were sparked by the May 25, 2020, death of George Floyd, Massachusetts Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn, and Texas Democratic Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee were among the members of Congress who led the effort to make Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday.

Shortly after this, President Joe Biden signed a bill creating June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

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