From a Kroger grocery store with questionable cakes to employees at an auto shop in North Carolina, the recent Juneteenth holiday and how some companies celebrated has dropped jaws and sparked backlash online.
Now, The Shade Room’s Justin Carter is stepping into those hotspots and breaking down what went down on ‘TSR Investigates.’ Were those incidents that sparked outrage just an honest mistake? Or is there a bigger issue at play?
More Details On What Went Down At The Kroger Store & Auto Stop On Juneteenth
According to Carter, in 2022, an incident made headlines in Rochester, New York, when a Black off-duty firefighter was reportedly forced to attend a Juneteenth party by his supervisor. In short, the party appeared to have discriminatory displays and prompted the firefighter to sue the city for billions. Per Carter, the man settled the case for a little over half a million dollars. Furthermore, that same year, Walmart also came under scrutiny.
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Now, in 2025, Kroger appears to be trying it, too.
” I just wanted something sweet,” customer Tori Russell explained to Carter, reflecting on when she stumbled upon “Free At Last” cakes at a Kroger in Atlanta. To date, her TikTok of the store’s display has garnered over 14 million views. “I was just saying if you’re gonna put something out, put a little effort into it.”
More On What Went Down At The Kroger Store, The Auto Shop & The Backlash
According to Carter, the next morning, the cakes were gone. Additionally, Kroger released a statement, addressing the store’s apparent display.
Scroll above to watch as Carter details how Kroger responded to the now-viral footage. Additionally, he shares how a few other grocery stores have gone viral, in a positive way, for their celebration of the holiday. Furthermore, Carter breaks down what happened at a North Carolina auto shop and why it led one Black woman to walk out over employees’ comments about the holiday. However, the ordeal didn’t end there. The footage was shared by the shop’s owner. And sparked a larger conversation on social media.
