Walmart pulls Juneteenth ice cream, apologizes after backlash on social media

Walmart has apologized for its Juneteenth-edition ice cream, saying its decision to stock the treat “caused concern for some of our customers.”

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The company announced it would pull the ice cream from the shelves as outrage on several social media outlets began to grow.

On Saturday, Electris Jones of Durham, North Carolina, posted photos of the ice cream on her Facebook page saying, “Dear Walmart, Ummm... k. Thanks I guess. ... Capitalize off the culture. With all of the black owned brands why not promote their products. Give them room on the shelves. Give them production to expand. When we said Recognize our work. Thats what we meant!!”

Included in the post was a picture of the ice cream carton that had the words “Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation and enduring hope.”

According to Jones, the carton contains “Pan American colors.” The ice cream is a swirled red velvet and cheesecake flavor.

Walmart apologized and issued a statement to Fox saying, “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.”

Juneteenth, which became a national holiday in 2021, commemorates the day Union soldiers arrived in Texas on June 19, 1865, with the news that enslaved Black people were free. The announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. also commented on the new flavor via Twitter.

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