The Children's Museum of Indianapolis was harshly criticized online after pictures were shared showing "Juneteenth Watermelon Salad" being sold in its cafeteria.
"The Indianapolis Children's Museum is in hot water after serving up a racially insensitive dish ... specifically to commemorate Juneteenth," TMZ reported.
"A rep for the museum is defending the salad, saying its food service partners 'planned a Juneteenth menu as a way for us to raise awareness of the holiday's meaning, and commemorate their own family traditions.' While that makes it sound like the food service company is Black-owned, we haven't been able to confirm that yet," TMZ reported.
The museum told TMZ the salad had been removed from its menu.
"The museum apologizes and acknowledges the negative impact that stereotypes have on communities of color. We have removed the salad from our menu. We value our relationships with all of our visitors and communities. We have learned from this experience," the museum said.
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The local newspaper provided context.
"Watermelon as a favorite food among Black people became a racist stereotype from the Jim Crow era, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. The racist trope was among several that reduced Black Americans to caricatures," the Indy Star explained.
The report came one day after the museum announced it was seeking to hire a public relations manager.
"Do you love telling a brand's story? Have a passion for securing news hits. This is the job for you!" the museum posted on Twitter.
\u201cThe Indianapolis Children's Museum is in hot water after serving up a racially insensitive dish ... specifically to commemorate Juneteenth. https://t.co/JY2TqI7oLR\u201d— TMZ (@TMZ) 1654359173
