Indianapolis Children’s Museum Pulls Juneteenth Watermelon Salad From Food Court After Facing Backlash

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis has pulled its Juneteenth watermelon salad from the food Court after facing backlash over the racially insensitive item.

The museum apologized after a picture of the salad circulated on social media with a photo of the salad and the label.

“As a museum, we apologize and acknowledge the negative impact that stereotypes have on communities of color,” the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis said in a statement.

“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.”

Juneteenth, which was recognized as a federal holiday last year, celebrates the emancipation of slaves in the United States.

Although President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to abolish slavery beginning on Jan. 1, 1863, the news didn’t reach Galveston, Texas until June 19, 1865.

In celebration of the holiday, the museum will host a Juneteenth Jamboree, which will feature activities and live performances.

To raise awareness and celebrate the holiday, the museum claimed its food service partner planned a Juneteeth menu.

“The team that made this selection included their staff members, who based this choice of food on their own family traditions,” the museum stated.

On Facebook, the museum responded to a comment by explaining that watermelon and other red foods “are a staple of Juneteenth Celebrations” since it symbolizes the bloodshed of those who were enslaved.

“There should have been a label explaining the history and meaning behind this menu item, and it should not have been on the shelf before that label was ready,” the museum replied to the comment.

“We understand how this appears with no context and we apologize. We are pulling it from our food court immediately until the sign is ready to accompany it.”

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis revealed its plans to continue to work to create a culture of empowerment and inclusivity but acknowledged that mistakes will be made along the way.