Target Removes Halloween Costume Critics Say Evoked Racist Minstrel Imagery
A Halloween costume sold by Target has become the latest reputational problem for the retailer, which is trying to rebuild consumer confidence after several years of controversy while also maintaining a recent improvement in its financial performance.
Target said Monday that it had removed a children’s circus clown costume after critics on social media said the design resembled racist Blackface imagery and imagery associated with minstrel shows.
The costume at the center of the backlash was sold as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume” and was part of Target’s seasonal Hyde and EEK Boutique line.
The orange-and-black outfit included gloves, a top hat and a mask featuring an exaggerated grin with large teeth. A promotional image appeared to show a Black child modeling the costume, a marketing choice that became a particular focus of the criticism.
“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.”
The retailer also said the incident was particularly significant for Black consumers and employees, acknowledging that the costume was “especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners.”
Minstrel shows, which became widespread in the United States during the 19th century, relied on demeaning caricatures of Black people and culture and commonly featured white performers in blackface.
Shomane Touré, founder of the Oakland-based Afrocentric Films Collaborative, told The New York Times that Target appeared to have failed to consider that history when choosing how to market the costume.
“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.”
The controversy comes as Target has begun showing signs of progress after a difficult stretch. The retailer has posted back-to-back strong quarters, helped by efforts to lower prices and refresh its merchandise, while new CEO Michael Fiddelke has so far received a favorable response from Wall Street.
That recovery remains fragile, however. Morningstar analyst Brett Husslein told CNN that Target has less room for public-facing mistakes because it cannot compete as directly with Walmart and Costco on price.
“As Target begins to gain traction in repairing its brand reputation, this is exactly the kind of stuff they want to avoid,” he said.
Husslein said additional pressure on Target — whether stemming from management decisions, the broader economy or controversies involving the company’s image — “could lead to further market share losses.”
The episode adds to a series of political and cultural controversies that have complicated Target’s relationship with shoppers in recent years.
The company faced criticism over how it handled backlash to merchandise in its 2023 Pride Collection. More recently, Target faced criticism from customers over changes to its diversity, equity and inclusion programs following President Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
The retailer was one of several major U.S. companies to scale back DEI programs after the Trump administration announced plans to investigate companies that maintained such initiatives. Google, Meta and Walmart also made changes to their diversity efforts.
Those controversies have created challenges for a company whose business depends in part on maintaining a distinctive brand identity rather than simply competing on price.
Sheletta Brundidge, a Minneapolis-area business leader who criticized those changes, said she saw the costume controversy as a consequence of having fewer diverse perspectives involved in company decision-making.
“You rolled back diversity,” she said, “so who’s in the room, now, to say ‘hey, this is wrong?’”
Nadine Smith, president of the racial justice group Color of Change, made a similar argument Tuesday, saying Target’s DEI rollback had contributed to “corporate blindness” inside the company.
“Somewhere along that chain, people either did not recognize the racism, did not feel empowered to name it or were not heard. Target cannot treat Black voices as expendable in its decision-making and still expect Black dollars at the checkout.”
Target did not provide details about who created the costume or explain how it was approved for sale. The company declined to comment on the design and approval process beyond saying it was “looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change.”
The company’s 2023 Pride controversy also put it under pressure from both sides of the political divide. Target said some conservative opponents of the merchandise behaved confrontationally in stores, but after the retailer removed some products, LGBTQ advocacy groups criticized it for appearing to give in to the backlash.
Although Hyde and EEK Boutique are owned by Target, merchandise from the brand has also appeared for resale on other online marketplaces, including Walmart, Amazon and Etsy.
Despite the latest backlash, investors did not appear to react negatively to the news Monday. Target shares were up 2.7% in afternoon trading.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
