Target has removed a children’s Halloween costume from its website after social media users pointed out that it closely resembled imagery from Jim Crow-era blackface minstrelsy.
The $25 costume—listed as “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit”—had a black-and-orange harlequin pattern alongside a mask featuring an oversize, exaggerated smile. The product’s marketing photograph showcased a Black child wearing the costume while holding a pose that people said evokes segregation-era caricatures of Black people, which were performed by white people in blackface.
After posts on Threads, TikTok, and X quickly gained visibility on August 23, Target removed the costume—part of its “Hyde and Eek! Boutique” collection—from its website. According to Newsweek, metadata from the original listing indicates that the product had been available since earlier this summer.
“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale,” the company said in statement on Monday. As of Monday evening, Target had not responded to requests for comment from Fast Company.
“This is what happens when you don’t have people in the room that look like us. You end up doing some shit like this,” a user noted on TikTok.
Target’s statement continued: “We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members, and partners. 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.”
The controversy also follows Target’s decision to roll back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in 2025. The decision was met with backlash and boycott efforts from the public, some of which are ongoing as community organizers seek more concrete DEI commitments from the retailer.
