Target acknowledged and corrected its mistake after one of its children Hallowen costume triggered a massive outrage. The retain giant said it had pulled down the costume from sale after social media users pointed out that the circus clown evoked Blackface and minstrel shows.“The $25 costume was listed as the “Kids’ Glows under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit” from Target’s Hyde & EEK! Boutique line. The design featured an orange-and-black clown outfit, black gloves and a dark face covering with an exaggerated smiling mouth. We still shopping at Target?” a social media post said, pointing out how problematic the Halloween costume was.“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,” Target said in its statement.“We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. 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 statement read.Social media was divided on whether it was an unintentional mistake. “At this point, it’s intentional. There is no way no one on the board doesn’t know this is offensive,” one wrote. “Target definitely did this intentionally. Their marketing team is trying to stir up controversy. Even bad publicity is STILL publicity,” another wrote.Blackface is dark makeup worn to mimic the appearance of a Black person and especially to mock or ridicule Black people, according to Merriam-Webster. The use of blackface in the US was recorded through “minstrel shows,” in which white performers would wear blackface and mock Black people.The Halloween costume controversy comes nearly a year after Target rolled back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives.Internal email sent by chief merchandising officerChief merchandising officer of Target Cara Sylvester sent an internal email in which the employees were told that the iten should never have been in the assortment and that the company would learn from this and do better.
