Toyota Kansas City Confronts Juneteenth Watermelon Controversy

We should all be eager to LEARN MORE about this allegation . . . For now here's the first taste of testimony . . .

“I turned around and asked a member that’s on the DNI team – which is the diversity and inclusion team – I said, ‘What the heck? This isn’t OK.’ And he just laughed,” said Kim McCarthy who has worked at the plant for 9 years.

More context given that watermelon is delicious and its weaponization is one of the tragic legacies of early American media . . . 

"For centuries, watermelon has been used alongside negative imagery of Black Americans. Watermelon was first seen as a demeaning symbol in the 19th century when freed Black Americans became merchants and sold the fruit. These stereotypes persisted into the 20th and 21st centuries."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Employees angry after Toyota's KC office serves only watermelon for Juneteenth

Toyota is under fire from some of its own Kansas City workers after they said the company served only watermelon to celebrate Juneteenth.

Again . . . Further reading . . .

How the watermelon stereotype came to be weaponized against Black Americans

For centuries, Black Americans have had to endure painful watermelon stereotypes. That hasn't changed in recent years.

Developing . . .