The controversy comes after Target rolled back several diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in 2025.
After getting called out by customers for selling what many saw as an offensive children’s Halloween costume, Target apologized and took the product down.
Listed as a “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume,” the $25 outfit included a small top hat with a flower, a striped black-and-orange outfit, black gloves, and a wide, toothy smile mask. Many social media users compared the costume to those worn during racist 19th-century minstrel shows, in which predominantly white performers wore blackface and mocked Black people.
“Target appears to have overlooked these historical implications by choosing to market a costume worn by a Black child in a manner that can be interpreted as reinforcing a longstanding racial stereotype,” Shomane Touré, the founder of Afrocentric Films Collaborative, an Oakland, California-based company focused on promoting positive stories about Black culture, told the New York Times in an emailed statement.
The retailer released a written apology yesterday through
The retailer released a written apology yesterday through its website and social media pages. “As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” Target said. “The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale.”
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“We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners,” the company continued. “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.”
In 2025, Target rolled back several diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts including one program with a goal to increase its number of Black employees by 20 percent within three years, Reuters reported. A spokesperson told the publication at the time that Target’s new approach was “all about driving business results by increasing relevance with U.S. consumers and making Target a destination for talent.”
Customers cited Target distancing itself from DEI
Customers cited Target distancing itself from DEI as the reason this Halloween costume missed the mark. “It’s almost like having more [people of color] in decision-making roles could have helped y’all see how problematic that was,” one person wrote on Instagram.
Brett Husslein, an analyst at investment research company Morningstar, recently told Reuters that controversies like this one could impede Target’s turnaround progress. “As Target begins to gain traction in repairing its brand reputation, this is exactly the kind of stuff they want to avoid,” he reportedly said, continuing that any such issue “could lead to further market share losses.” (Disclosure: Inc.’s parent company, Mansueto Ventures, is owned by Joe Mansueto, the founder of Morningstar.)
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Source: www.inc.com
