Target has been under fire after a racist Halloween costume was discovered on the company’s web store.
The company has pulled the item from sale and issued an apology.
The costume was titled “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown” and featured an orange-and-black clown outfit with a face covering that included an exaggerated smile painted over the face. The way the costume was modeled in photos appeared to depict imagery that is associated with racist stereotypes from the Jim Crow era. You can see the image HERE.
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Target issues apology over Halloween costume.
The company released a statement on Monday night (August 24) in response to the backlash.
An apology from us: We removed an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and we are looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.
Target has faced backlash in recent years over its handling of Pride collection products and for changing its DEI policies after Donald Trump returned to the presidency.
“As Target begins to gain traction in repairing its brand reputation, this is ?exactly the ?kind of stuff they want to avoid,” Morningstar analyst Brett Husslein told Reuters.
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