Cynthia L. Herzog 
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill to officially mark June 19 — June 19 — as an official federal holiday.
A year later, as racism continues to permeate the nation and many African Americans prepare to observe the nation’s 12th federal holiday, corporate America remains muted at best.
Social media users and others have lambasted the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis for offering a prepackaged watermelon salad as part of its Juneteenth menu.
The museum circulated a photo of the salad as it invited the public to its June 19 celebration.
“This is ridiculous and a mockery of Juneteenth,” Twitter user @WishYaHadAlexis wrote. “I’ve never eaten watermelon salad or even heard of it. SMH. »
Another Twitter user, @MajorFactor2, said: “There can’t be black people in these meeting rooms when decisions like this are being made.”
Initially, museum officials tried to justify the offensive gaffe by noting that watermelon salad remained a staple at their food court manager’s family’s June 19 celebration.
They later released a statement apologizing.
“As a museum, we apologize and recognize the negative impact stereotypes have on communities of color,” officials wrote.
“Salad has been removed from the menu. We are currently considering how best to pass on these stories and traditions during this year’s June 19 celebration, as well as making changes to how our food service provider makes future food selections.
The statement continued:
“There should have been a label explaining the history and meaning of this menu item, and it shouldn’t have been on the shelf until this label was ready.
“We understand how this appears without context, and we apologize for it. However, we are immediately removing it from our food court until the sign is ready to go with it.
According to the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, the watermelon represents a racist stereotype that originated in the Jim Crow era.
Juneteenth recognized the date in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans received official notice of their freedom.
This notice came two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation granting freedom to all slaves in the Confederate States.
“First Walmart stupidity and now the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis thought it was okay to have a watermelon salad to celebrate Juneteenth,” Twitter user @MrsCMitch wrote.
“It’s incredibly insensitive and inappropriate.”
Walmart came under fire earlier after the chain released a new flavor of its ice cream and called it ‘Juneteenth’.
Immediately, Walmart was criticized for trying to cash in on the new holiday with the flavors that included swirled red velvet cake and cheesecake.
“We will remove the items as appropriate,” Walmart officials said.
“June 16 marks a celebration of freedom and independence. However, we have received comments that some items have caused concern to some of our customers, for which we sincerely apologize.
Bridge, an organization that promotes improved diversity and inclusion, asked Walmart to remove the ice cream flavors.
“Would you throw an ice cream called January 27? The day the world will remember the Holocaust. Or April 7, the day that commemorates the genocide in Rwanda. Of course not,” Bridge officials wrote in a letter to Walmart.
They also criticized Walmart for placing a trademark indication on the word “Juneteenth”.
“Placing a TM and claiming ownership of the word ‘Juneteenth’ further exacerbates the lack of understanding of claiming something that means so much to an entire population,” they wrote.
“Juneteenth just can’t be possessed.”
