Offensive Costume Sparks Target Firestorm

Taylor Schlitz: Target’s offensive Halloween costume is exactly what DEI was supposed to prevent

Target wants to know how something like this got through. But it’s not a mystery when the company has retreated from corporate diversity initiatives.

“I Do Not Accept Your Apology”: Viola Davis Called Out Target’s Response To The Backlash Over That Shocking Kids’ Halloween Costume, And People Are Applauding

Target said that it's “looking closely at how” the offensive kids’ costume — which was widely compared to a Jim Crow-style caricature — ended up for sale on its website.View Entire Post ›

Blackface For Halloween? Target Costume Causes Uproar

Scott Olson Although Target had the foresight to get ahead of the Halloween season by stacking up on costumes, they couldn’t possibly have predicted the recent backlash in response to a minstrel-looking “clown” option that gave shoppers a ghoulish shock. Now that the offensive costume has been removed from shelves, many have been wondering whether an apology is enough from a brand once again on the wrong side of a race debate. RELATED: Black Fo…

Target shares climb 0.6% as retailer rebounds from $25 costume controversy that wiped out $2.9 billion

MINNEAPOLIS, August 26, 2026, 11:48 (EDT) – Target (TGT.N) stock rose 0.6% on Wednesday following a rapid selloff that erased $2.9 billion in market value after a $25 Halloween costume sparked a backlash. At 11:41 EDT on Wednesday, Target shares were up 0.61% at $164.39.Tuesday's drop of 3.78% wiped out about $2.92 billion in equity…

Offensive Costume Sparks Target Firestorm

Target yanked a kids’ Halloween costume after saying it was offensive and especially hurtful to Black customers, a rare corporate admission that the vetting system failed. Story Highlights Target apologized and pulled a children’s clown costume after backlash tied to blackface and minstrel imagery. The company said the item “should never have been part of our assortment” and is no longer for sale. News reports said the listing showed an orange-…

Target pulls kids' Halloween costume with questionable imagery

Target’s Blackface Halloween costume controversy has the retail giant catching major heat. This happened after shoppers spotted a children’s clown costume that critics say looked straight out of the Jim Crow-era minstrel show playbook. Yeah… somebody had to approve this. The costume, sold under Target’s Hyde & EEK! Boutique line, featured an exaggerated clown face with dark makeup and oversized red lips. There were also other details that immedi…