Target Pulls ‘Offensive’ Halloween Costume After Blackface Backlash
Target has removed a children’s Halloween costume and apologized after critics accused the design of evoking blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows. According to FOX Business , the costume, listed as the “Kids’ Glows…
Target has removed a children’s Halloween costume and apologized after critics accused the design of evoking blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows.
According to FOX Business, the costume, listed as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” was sold through Target’s seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique brand.
The online listing has since been removed.
Target acknowledged the backlash and said the costume should never have been offered for sale.
“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry.
The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale,” company spokesperson Brian Harper-Tibaldo said in a statement to FOX Business.
The company also addressed the impact on Black customers, employees and business partners.
“We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners,” Harper-Tibaldo said. “Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.”
The decision followed criticism on social media, where users accused the Minneapolis-based retailer of selling merchandise with racist imagery.