I'm the CEO of a PR firm and I'm tired of the commodification of Juneteenth. Here's how companies can commemorate respectfully.

• Many companies commodify holidays with sales and promotions.
• Walmart's "Celebration Edition: Juneteenth Ice Cream" was pulled from shelves after backlash.

For years, corporations have capitalized on holidays and turned them into marketing ploys: President's Day sale, 4th of July deals, Labor Day discounts, and so on. But earlier this month, when Walmart's "Celebration Edition: Juneteenth Ice Cream" was pulled from shelves after widespread backlash, I can't say that I was surprised. In fact, I was relieved.

On its face, Walmart's Juneteenth, red-velvet flavored ice-cream could be perceived as an earnest effort to shed light on a holiday that's recently become popular across the nation. Instead, many Black folks felt that the gesture was disingenuous; a commodification of a painful time in our nation's history, not a commemoration.

Juneteenth recognizes June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered. It was over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states. Last year, President Biden signed a bill that deemed Juneteenth a federal holiday.

As the CEO of LaLew Public Relations, I felt Walmart's debacle was avoidable. I've been in business for six years and a consumer for much longer. Walmart made the decision to produce the Juneteenth ice cream because they thought it was going to be profitable. Had the retail giant been more intentional about respecting the meaning behind the holiday, they may have made different decisions.

As brands look for ways to recognize identity-based holidays, here are three ways companies can commemorate Juneteenth in a respectful manner.

Support Black businesses

There are thousands of artists, startups, and creatives who are producing quality products. Companies like Bright Black Candle, which specializes in vegan candles, and the the Sable Collective, lifestyle boutique that sources from women artisans of color, are great options to pour resources into.

Supporting Black businesses helps curb the racial wealth gap that afflicts the Black community and particularly small business owners. Black Americans only have 17 cents for every dollar the average white American has. At the start of the pandemic, Black business ownership declined more than 40%, according to a report by the House Committee on Small Business Committee. But many of these businesses faced challenges prior to the pandemic; securing access to capital and racial discrimination chief among them.

Ensuring these Black businesses have access to financial resources can help bridge the gap and help safeguard their futures. Companies should strongly consider how they can use their influence to eliminate this injustice. Every dollar matters when it comes to the health of the Black economy.

Resist the urge to commercialize the holiday

Don't cheapen the significance of the holiday by plastering "Juneteenth" on mugs and keychains.

Not all holidays are a fit for branded material. It's OK to hit the pause button on gimmicks and allow the true nature of the holiday to take precedence. Perhaps companies can publicize a message that reinforces their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They could offer learning opportunities on effective allyship like Microsoft, who offered a course to all its employees to build a more inclusive culture. Companies could elevate conversations around microaggressions in the workplace. They could use the holiday to educate employees on disenfranchised communities.

Practice appreciation without commercialization.

Test before you go public

Many brands don't seek opinions from the communities they're attempting to honor. But this step could help spot problematic intentions.

Get input from those in the community. Walmart spent a lot of money mass producing ice cream, designing its packaging, using fuel to transport the ice cream from the manufacturer to the store, and paying employees to shelve it. Perhaps if Walmart tested or received feedback, they could have saved production costs.

Companies could employ a panel of diversity experts, marketing professionals, and Black community leaders to sign off on all Juneteenth collateral before finalizing. Companies should question their intentions and try to anticipate any fallout that may occur. They should also gather constructive feedback from within the business. Companies could work with experts to highlight the unconscious biases that have plagued the marketing and advertising world for too long.

Jessica Lewis is the CEO of LaLew Public Relations and is based in Rochester, New York. She is a marketing and branding expert who approaches her work through a lens of equity and inclusion.