Columbia Records (1916) 

            Petition to Halt Using Racist Tune on Ice Cream Trucks                             

Ice cream is one of America’s favorite treats, yet its sweetness is soured by the racist music that has been used as a calling card for generations. The distasteful tune historically was used predominately by the Good Humor Ice Cream franchise but is currently used by other vendors as well. The tune is inspired by minstrel songs Zip and Coon (1834) and The Turkey in the Straw (1906).

Those songs were sampled in Nigger Loves a Watermelon Ha Ha Ha (1916), an outright racist song that ridiculed and demeaned Black people with racial  stereotypical lyrics like:

   "... you niggers quit throwin' them bones and come down and get your ice cream..."

   “…nothing like watermelon for a hungry coon."

While not all Good Humor ice cream trucks play the aforementioned melody, some of them still do. It has been argued that it is just a tune that can be set to any lyrics and that its history was unbeknownst to the current truck owners. However, considering that for decades the tune was used to degrade Black people for entertainment and profit—it should be removed. Unquestionably.

You can show your support for replacing the song by signing this petition, thereby letting ice cream vendors know that your continued patronage is at risk.

The time to replace the song is now. Let us continue to expose and expel racism in our society—even when it is served on a sugar cone with rainbow sprinkles.                                               

*The song is linked above.