Kroger Faces Backlash as Juneteenth Cakes Go Viral

Kroger is under fire on social media after a TikTok video showing its Juneteenth cakes in an Atlanta store went viral. The video, posted by user @blaq.monalisa, shows multiple cakes with minimal decoration and generic messages like "Free @ last" and "June 19 free." The creator called the effort a "mockery" and questioned why the store even bothered if there was so little creativity involved, per USA Today. "Who the hell made these ugly-ass [cakes]," the video's creator notes in her narration.

"I wish [there] was a manager here, because y'all decorate everything else around here cute," the creator gripes, calling the decorating "unacceptable" and "bull----." The video, which had racked up more than 12 million views as of Saturday morning, prompted a flood of critical comments, with some users expressing disappointment and others joking that the cakes looked more like "welcome home from jail" treats. By the next day, the cakes were no longer on sale. The TikTok creator noted that the cakes weren't replaced with improved versions and continued to call out the lack of effort.

In a statement to the Independent, a Kroger rep said that "the cakes and cookies that were featured in the video were inconsistent with our provided guidance and not of the quality we would expect to see from our stores." The rep added, "The products have been removed, and we've addressed this directly with the store teams and the customer who took the initial video." Walmart suffered a similar Juneteenth ice cream fiasco in 2022. The episode highlights ongoing concerns about how major retailers mark Juneteenth, a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of the last enslaved Black Americans in 1865, and whether these efforts reflect genuine recognition or simply check a box for the occasion. (This content was created with the help of AI. Read our AI policy.)