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Walmart apologizes for Juneteenth product amid backlash

FILE - In this Sept. 3, 2019, file photo, a Walmart logo forms part of a sign outside a Walmart store, in Walpole, Mass. Walmart workers who once unloaded trucks now have a chance to drive them. The nation’s largest retailer has launched a training program for employees who work in its distribution or fulfillment centers. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
by: WRTV Staff
Posted: / Updated:

Walmart has pulled an ice cream that caused a backlash online.

In a statement to CNN and CBS News, the company apologized for selling Juneteenth-themed ice cream under its Great Value label, saying they would “remove items as appropriate.”

According to NBC News, the packaging on the ice cream was decorated in pan-African colors, with a message that reads, “Share and celebrate African-American culture, emancipation, and enduring hope.”

Pictures of the food item began circulating online this week.

According to the news outlets, some online users accused the company of trying to profit off the holiday, which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.

Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday last June after President Joe Biden signed it into law.

Walmart has since removed the ice cream from its shelves, the news outlets reported.

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