Walmart has issued a statement to apologize for their “Juneteenth” themed ice cream that has gone viral on Twitter. The ice cream was apparently flavored with “red velvet and cheesecake”. It is not quite clear why those specific flavors were chosen for the African-American holiday-themed ice cream, but that’s what it was. The packaging featured red, black, and green colors to represent the Pan-African flag. A yellowish-beige is also present on the box for some reason. Possibly to give the packaging a little bit more contrast. There are also cartoonish hands that appear to be simulating a high-five. The hands have African-styled garments on the wrist section.
Juneteenth is an obscure holiday that started back in Galveston, Texas after the civil war in the 1860s. The original story is that Union soldiers landed in Galveston on June 19th, 1865 to inform (and enforce) the ending of slavery in compliance with the Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation was signed in September 1862 and went into effect on January 1st, 1863. This order was signed by President Abraham Lincoln with the purpose of freeing slaves in states that were in “rebellion”, meaning the Confederacy… not the Union. June 19th became known as “Juneteenth” in Galveston and celebrations were held every year to symbolize the ending of slavery. This tradition spread throughout the United States over the years but it was always very obscure. That is until President Trump came along and accidentally made the holiday become federally recognized.
Donald Trump scheduled a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma to be held on June 19th, 2020. A few “protesters” showed up at the site of the proposed rally demanding that Trump reschedule. They said that “Juneteenth” is a sacred day and Tulsa is a sacred place because of the race riot that happened back in 1921. The problem with this logic is that Tulsa is nowhere near Galveston, Texas. And slavery ended in Galveston long before the Tulsa race riot. Regardless of those pesky facts, public pressure from the media and “protesters” forced Trump to postpone the rally and push it just one day back to June 20th. This created a wave of people who say they always celebrated Juneteenth. Then came the demand for Juneteeth to receive a federally recognized holiday. With that heightened popularity, the holiday became commercialized similar to Christmas and Valentine’s Day. And the inevitable result of that is a heightened commercial interest, hence the Juneteenth “Great Value” ice cream at Walmart.
SOURCES:
Walmart’s Juneteenth ‘Celebration’ Ice Cream Draws Backlash
Walmart pulls Juneteenth ice cream after backlash: ‘We sincerely apologize’
Walmart pulls Juneteenth ice cream Roy Wood Jr. called out on social media – al.com
Walmart pulls Juneteenth-themed ice cream after backlash
How Bad Of An Idea Was Juneteenth Ice Cream?
Walmart Recalls ‘Juneteenth Ice Cream’ After Backlash: Report
Trump campaign blames protesters for disappointing turnout at Tulsa rally – POLITICO
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