The high-pitched, child-like tune of the ice cream truck jingle ringing through the neighborhood unlocks many core memories for a lot of people.
It reminds me of a time when my sister and I would indulge in the simplicities of Summer — our tongues dyed by brightly-colored snow cones and our mouths smeared with chocolate covered treats. That Powerpuff Girl pop with the gumball eyes was always a hit for me.
This was long before I learned about the Black people who laid the foundation of ice cream’s success – folks like Chef James Hemmings, who popularized the treat in America, Edmond Albius, who made sure we had enough vanilla beans to keep up with demand and modern ice cream scoop inventor Alfred Cralle. Despite our ancestors putting in the work when it comes to ice cream’s legacy, Jim Crow did its thing by denying Black people a chance to indulge in its sweetness. To add insult to injury, 19th century ice cream parlors played popular songs from minstrel shows that featured racist caricatures of Black people. When the automobile industry boomed, ice cream trucks started hitting the streets – and the racists tunes rode shotgun.
One of those jingles literally has a slur in its title and taunts Black people by using the racist trope of eating watermelon. Today, the tune is called “Turkey In The Straw,” which was an Irish and British folk song. But minstrel actor and singer Harry C. Browne changed the lyrics and created one of the most racist songs in American history.
Of course, Black folks couldn’t let that stand and have since taken their power back. Here’s a list of how Black artists have either remixed the racist melody by using beats that are rooted in Black culture or created fresh songs for a new generation of ice cream lovers.
RZA and Good Humor
A member of the Wu-Tang Clan made his mark on ice cream history by linking up with Good Humor, a more than century-old ice cream business. Rapper RZA whipped up a brand new, light-hearted tune that will fill your mind with wonder and joy. Honestly, this track made me want to skip along a road made of rainbows and stardust with an ice cream cone in hand.
Good Humor said it wanted to be “part of the solution” by offering RZA’s tune to ice cream drivers beyond their fleet of trucks who want to replace the racist melody in their music boxes.
“We wanted to create a melody that includes all communities, that’s good for every driver – every kid,” RZA told Good Humor in 2020.
Jackson Beatz
Jordan Jackson, a music producer from the DMV-area, created a bop by adding trap beats to the original melody. This track is sure to get your body movin’ in the streets. Don’t have too much fun and let that ice cream melt though!
Klassik Frescobar
Taking you to the Caribbean with this one, y’all! Jamaican artist Klassik Frescobar super charges the original melody with a Dancehall beat that will have you winding your hips. Frescobar even created a second song to keep the good vibes going. Content warning for those who don’t like frisky lyrics.
