Target apologized Monday following backlash over a Halloween costume that some consumers considered a “racial caricature.” Critics said the product, sold as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” along with its promotional image of a Black child modeling it, was reminiscent of caricatures from Jim Crow-era minstrel shows, which played a role in propagating racial stereotypes used to justify discrimination, segregation and violence.
“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.”
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The “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” an orange-and-black circus clown costume, has been removed from Target’s website. It featured gloves, a top hat and a grinning mask with large teeth.
This is the latest controversy involving Target, after the company alienated some consumers with its rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.
“A Jim Crow-era minstrel costume is not simply getting it wrong. It is a profoundly harmful symbol of racism that should never have been designed, approved, or sold by Target,” said the Rev. Jamal Bryant, a Georgia pastor who led a 40-day “Target Fast” boycott last year. “It shows that Target still lacks corporate diversity among decision-makers and needs concrete internal change.”
Sheletta Brundidge, a Minneapolis-area business leader, viewed the costume as an indirect result of the DEI decision. “You rolled back diversity,” she said, “so who’s in the room, now, to say ‘hey, this is wrong?'”
The rollback of DEI initiatives has led to protests by activist organizers. The company lost roughly $12.4 billion in market value by the end of February from January.
Target now appears to be seeing results from efforts to cut prices and refresh its merchandise under new CEO Michael Fiddelke. However, according to Brett Husslein, an analyst at Morningstar, the company, which cannot compete with Walmart and Costco on price, has little room for error when it comes to managerial or optical missteps.
“As Target begins to gain traction in repairing its brand reputation, this is exactly the kind of stuff they want to avoid,” he said, adding that any headwind — optical, managerial, or macroeconomic — “could lead to further market share losses.”
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Target boycott organizers continue with their divestment calls. They have continued to press the company to reinstate its DEI programs and continue its commitments to Black communities, saying the costume controversy is a reminder of their mission.
“It’s important for people to understand that the Target boycott never ended; that it was indefinite from the beginning, unless and until Target reversed course on its decision to roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Armstrong, an organizer of the national Target boycott.