Juneteenth in 2022
Photo cred: John Seyfried
Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th, commemorating the last day of enslavement, a now federally recognized holiday as of 2021. On June 19th, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, informing all that the Civil War was won and all enslaved people were now free. Also known as “Freedom Day,” it is the oldest African-American holiday in America, and many would say this is our true Independence Day in African-American culture.
Now usually, we would take a deep dive into how things began with Juneteenth, but with our passion for entrepreneurship, we couldn’t help but acknowledge the problematic and opportunistic capitalism of such an important day. Recently, Walmart released a commemorative Juneteenth flavor of ice cream. Why is this a problem? It is a blatant attempt at capitalizing on black culture, consumerism, and trauma. Selling this ice cream lent to other questions, such as who is benefiting most from the sale of this ice cream? Come to find out; it wasn’t Walmart. That would have been the Balchem Corporation, a chemical company specializing in the flavor enhancement of food and beverages. The corporation filed a trademark application for Juneteenth in September 2021. Due to the backlash received, the company abandoned its trademark application a couple of days after Walmart’s apology on May 26, 2022.
Here we can acknowledge a few things…
Firstly, keep talking that s***. If we as a collective had not vocalized how much of a problem the ice cream branding was, we never would have found out about the attempted trademarking of Juneteenth. Continue to hold corporations accountable.
Next, we have to understand there is an audacious disregard for the enslaved and their descendants. America has been built on the benefits of generational trauma and free labor. That is what has made it the “superpower” that it is today. Enslavement (the 13th amendment), brutality, and systemic oppression are things that currently exist, and that many establishments benefit from, aka those who have benefited from colonization the most will continue to colonize. American capitalism maintains an ever willingness to capitalize on an opportunity, even if rooted in pain or inequality. It is baked into the framework of this country. And us descendants are here to disrupt and rewrite the recipe.
Lastly, Walmart and Balchem are not the only corporations attempting to benefit from Juneteenth in problematic ways. Understand that Juneteenth is a federally recognized holiday. Decorations, cups, napkins, and many other things fill your local Party City to celebrate the day. With printed captions such as “It’s freedom for me,” - It includes inclusion in the form of pandering for profit.
So as Juneteenth approaches, we suggest the collective celebration of Freedom Day and the joint support of black businesses and entrepreneurs. If you choose to buy ice cream from Walmart, buy Creamalicious - a Black-owned, women-led ice creamery. In the IE, there's Moreno Valley’s Juneteenth Celebration on June 18 at 2 pm at the Civic Center Amphitheatre. If you want to support Black art and vendors, attend the Juneteenth celebration at White Park in Downtown Riverside on June 18th from 1 pm - 6 pm, hosted by the Black Collective Co. If you are looking for something more entrepreneurial and financial-based, attend the 1st Annual Menifee Juneteenth Celebration on June 18th. There you will find Umoja’s Black Business Financial Literacy Workshop from 12 pm - 3 pm. Or you can always have the classic feel of a BBQ with family and friends.
However you decide to spend the day, remember that your purpose is the most valuable thing you have and on Juneteenth, remember not only the freedom of your body and mind - but also the freedom to create. Your wealth is waiting on the other side of your faith.
References:
Letenyei, D. (2022). Who Owns Juneteenth? Not Balchem Corp. Retrieved on June 1, 2022.
Juneteenth World Wide Celebrations. (2022). Retrieved on June 1, 2022