Like most children in America, I spent many summer days listening for the distinctly jolly tune of the ice cream truck rounding the corner that would alert me and my siblings to run outside, fist full of change, silently hoping that there were enough Rocket Pops to go around.

The ice cream truck is one of the few beacons of summer that hasn't changed over time. This petition isn't against ice cream (I know that's an argument that I couldn't win) or even the hard working small business owners who run the trucks, rather it is about the song that is trumpeted over loudspeakers and it's racist origins.
Released in 1916 by Columbia Records under the name "N****r Love A Watermelon Ha! Ha! Ha!" with the intent to negatively portray Black people as animals slave to the fruit, this song is spewing with racial slurs and metaphors, such as the following:

N****r love a watermelon ha ha, ha ha!

For here, they're made with a half a pound of co'l

There's nothing like a watermelon for a hungry c***.

There are also the worst kinds of racial metaphors in "Old Zip C**n" or more commonly known as "Turkey in the Straw"- a popular black-faced minstrel show song from the 1800's. One of the most popular sheet music covers for the song is dominated by an image of a caricatured black man with lyrics that effectively dehumanize black people.

Children should not grow to feel a nostalgic connection towards songs that were brewed in hatred and slavery. We can't change history, but we can help tomorrow make a lot more sense for the next generation by banning these songs.