'You Are Not on OUR Side' | Actress Viola Davis Criticizes Target's Apology After Pulling Halloween Costume Following Backlash
Viola Davis rejected Target’s apology after the retailer pulled a costume critics said evoked racist caricatures and sent shares down as much as 5%.
- On Tuesday, Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis rejected Target's apology for a children's Halloween costume, writing on Instagram: "Target, I do not accept your apology, and I do not believe that you understand the impact... The pain... The dehumanization of the above."
- Earlier this week, social media users criticized the $25 "Kids' Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume" for resembling 19th-century minstrelsy; Target pulled the product Monday and stated, "As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry."
- Six years after a controversy involving an Anne Frank costume, Rev Jamal Bryant, who led a 40-day boycott last year, told the Washington Post that the costume showed Target "still lacks corporate diversity among decision-makers."
- Following the backlash, Target shares slid as much as 5%; Morningstar analyst Brett Husslein said the drop reflected "the fragility of competitive positioning" amid consumer trust loss.
- While Target stated it is examining how to prevent future incidents, nearly 70% of its Halloween assortment is new this year, making brand standard maintenance amid rapid seasonal innovation a significant challenge.
30 Articles
30 Articles
Halloween costume with ‘minstrel show features’ puts Target in hot seat — again - Los Angeles Wave Newspaper Group
By Nancy Jiang Contributing Writer MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota – Retailer Target pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves this week after widespread social media backlash, apologizing for selling a garment critics said evoked racist minstrel caricatures. Critics say the costume, along with its promotional image of a Black child modeling the get-up, is reminiscent of caricatures from Jim Crow-era minstrel shows that embedded stereotypes …
Viola Davis Says Forgiveness is Possible After Target's Racist Halloween Costume
Viola Davis says Target could win people over again after releasing a racist Halloween costume ... if they play their cards right. While leaving LAX Friday, the acclaimed actress explained forgiveness is possible for the retailer, but she's got…
Viola Davis rejects Target’s apology over Halloween costume backlash
Actress VIOLA DAVIS rejects Target's apology for "blackface" Halloween costume: "These images laid the foundation and the ideology for every atrocity that has been committed against my people ... You have shown us that you are not on OUR side."
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