Overview
- The retailer removed the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume” and apologized on Monday, saying the product was offensive and is no longer for sale.
- The listing showed a Black child in a black-and-orange bodysuit with black gloves, a hooded mesh mask with an exaggerated smile, and critics said the image echoed Jim Crow–era blackface caricatures.
- Target acknowledged the harm to Black guests, team members and partners and said it is investigating how the costume reached its seasonal Hyde & EEK! Boutique assortment.
- Community leaders and some shoppers pointed to Target’s January 2025 rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion programs and said fewer diverse reviewers may have allowed the oversight.
- Analysts warn the episode could undercut the retailer’s brand-repair efforts under CEO Michael Fiddelke, and stakeholders will be watching the outcomes of Target’s internal review and any changes to approval procedures.