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Walmart Pulls Juneteenth Ice Cream After Backlash: Twitter Reacts

Just last year, President Joe Biden signed a bill enacting June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. The holiday commemorates the 1865 date that Union soldiers arrived to announce the…

Walmart Raises Forecast As Earnings Beat Estimates

AMERICAN CANYON, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 16: A sign is posted in front of a Walmart store on November 16, 2021 in American Canyon, California. Walmart reported better-than-expected third quarter earnings with revenues of $140.53 billion, or $1.45 per share, compared to the analyst expectations of $135.60 billion, or $1.40 per share.

(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Just last year, President Joe Biden signed a bill enacting June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day. The holiday commemorates the 1865 date that Union soldiers arrived to announce the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation which was issued more than two years before. The soldiers brought freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas.

Like many holidays, major corporations attempt to capitalize as much as possible. Walmart announced a trademarked Juneteenth ice cream.

"Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation and enduring hope," the label on the ice cream stated. The label also featured a pair of hands high-fiving while another holds up a peace sign.

The announcement of the ice cream did not go well and the retailer received major backlash on social media. In light of the harsh comments attacking the brand, Walmart released a statement.

"Juneteenth holiday marks a celebration of freedom and independence," Walmart reportedly 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."

It is unclear what exactly are the rest of the items they are reviewing but the retailer was also selling other Juneteeth-related items including T-shirts.

Take a look at some reactions from Twitter:

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Autumn Hawkins is the National Hip-Hop and R&B writer for Beasley Media, currently residing in New Jersey. Prior to working at Beasley Media, she was in broadcast news as an entertainment producer. When she's not impatiently waiting for Beyoncé to drop new music, she is reading, shopping, or planning a vacation.