Civil rights groups protest Target over controversial Halloween costume
Activists gathered outside Target's Minneapolis headquarters demanding an explanation for a racially offensive children's costume that was briefly sold, after the retailer removed the item and apologized.
Civil rights leaders in Minnesota staged a demonstration at Target's corporate campus in Minneapolis, pressing the retailer for answers on how a Halloween costume deemed racially offensive passed its internal review process. The protest was organized by the National Target Boycott, which said the group sought clarification on the company's product-approval procedures.
Target removed the costume from its stores earlier in the week and issued an apology after acknowledging the item’s offensive nature. The incident follows the retailer’s decision last year to roll back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals.
"We want to understand how a costume that is clearly offensive made it onto shelves," a spokesperson for the protest group said.
Target responded with a statement, though the full text of that statement was not included in the report.