Target apologized on Monday and said it had pulled a Halloween costume from sale depicting a circus clown that critics said evoked Blackface and minstrel shows.
\n\nThe product, sold as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” prompted a backlash on social media, with some consumers saying it resembled a racist caricature.
\n\n“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” Target said in a statement. “The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale.”
\n\nIt is the latest optics headache for the U.S. retailer as it tries to right its ship after a stretch of poor sales. The company also faced criticism over its handling of products in its 2023 Pride Collection and over changes to its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the wake of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
\n\nTarget declined to comment on who designed the product — which was sold under the retailer’s seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique brand — or the process by which it was green-lit for sale. In its statement, Target said it was “looking closely at how this happened and…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/