Target pulls Halloween costume after backlash over racist imagery

Target has pulled a children’s Halloween costume from its shelves and website after images of the outfit sparked backlash online by people pointing out the costume's exaggerated facial design closely resembled racist caricatures historically associated with Blackface and minstrel performances.

The $25 costume, marketed as the “Kids’ Glows under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit,” was part of Target’s Hyde & EEK! Boutique Halloween line. The orange-and-black outfit included black gloves and a dark face covering featuring an exaggerated smiling mouth.

Target acknowledged the backlash in a statement Tuesday, saying the costume “is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment.”

“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” Target said. “We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners.”

The Minneapolis-based retailer said the costume is no longer available for sale and that it is reviewing how the product made it into its assortment.

“Removing the costume is an important first step,” the company said, adding that it is “looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.”

Nekima Levy Armstrong, co-founder of the National Target Boycott, said the incident reinforces calls for consumers to continue withholding their business from the retailer.

“The Target boycott never ended,” Armstrong posted on social media. “Despite reports and narratives suggesting otherwise, many of us have never stopped boycotting Target. And at this point, some of us may never return.”

Armstrong and other boycott organizers called for an indefinite boycott in January 2025 after Target rolled back its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The boycott has continued as organizers have pressed the company for accountability over its commitments to the Black community following the 2020 Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Armstrong said the costume controversy represents another example of what she views as a broader pattern rather than an isolated error.

“At some point, we have to stop calling everything a ‘mistake,’” she said. “When disrespect becomes a pattern, believe the pattern.”

Armstrong said the costume’s removal and apology do not resolve the concerns that prompted the boycott.

“The Target boycott is ongoing,” she said. “The Target boycott is indefinite. And for some of us, the Target boycott is permanent.”