Walmart was recently criticized for advertising and selling Juneteenth-themed products including ice cream in celebration of the national holiday.
Juneteenth, which is a day to commemorate the end of slavery in America and is celebrated every June 19, was made a federal holiday only in 2021. Twitter users claiming that it was not enough to declare the day a federal holiday faced backlash.
Walmart announced new Juneteenth merchandise this year. This included party decorations and Juneteenth-themed Ice Cream. Many of these options were questioned via social media.
Chris Lovingood, a journalist, tweeted photos of Walmart’s Great Value brand Juneteenth Ice Cream. Red velvet flavor, the ice cream also features a trademark logo that includes the word “Juneteenth”.
Lovingood also shared a screenshot of questions that were sent to Walmart representatives asking why “Juneteenth”, the name of the product, had been trademarked.
Many others have criticized the theme products’ use of Juneteenth to market their products. One user said, “Capitalism, a retail conglomerate owned by a white millionaire family, is marketing an ice-cream to celebrate the emancipation [of] slaves in a nation that was literally built upon the backs of [of] slaves.” Check out Walmart’s Juneteenth Ice Cream.
