SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 24: A discarded watermelon skin is seen on the grass in Sydney Park on January 24, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast severe heatwave conditions for most of NSW with temperatures expected to top 40 degrees Celsius in Sydney's Western Suburbs over the weekend. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Roommates, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has apologized after receiving backlash for their Juneteenth Watermelon Salad that went viral. The picture started to pick up steam on Facebook after Jonelle Slaughter recently posted a photo of the salad and commented under a post from the museum advertising its Juneteenth Jamboree. Jonelle wrote,
“So y’all decided ‘hey let’s celebrate by perpetuating offensive stereotypes. Y’all really thought this was a good idea?”
If you’re not aware of how the stereotype started, The Atlantic reported in 2014 that it was birthed in the Jim Crow era, and the fruit symbolized black self-sufficiency. It didn’t take long for the museum to respond to Jonelle. They explained they would be immediately pulling the salad from the food court. In a statement to Fox 59, the museum apologized, stating,
“As a museum, we apologize and acknowledge the negative impact that stereotypes have on communities of color. The salad has been removed from the menu. We are currently reviewing how we may best convey these stories and traditions during this year’s Juneteenth celebration as well as making changes around how future food selections are made by our food service provider.”
It continued,
“Our food service provider uses the food and beverage menu to commemorate and raise awareness of holidays like Juneteenth. The team that made this selection included their staff members who based this choice of food on their own family traditions. As we work to create a culture of empowerment and inclusivity, we know there will be stumbles along the way.”
The statement ended with the museum explaining their plans to resolve to do better and continue bringing all voices forward in their work. Roommates, how do you feel about the apology?
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