Target has removed a children's Halloween costume from its website after social media users accused the retailer of selling an outfit that resembled racist blackface and minstrel-era imagery. The product, listed as the "Kids' Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit," was being sold for $25 through Target's Hyde & EEK! Boutique Halloween collection before shoppers began circulating screenshots online.
Critics have argued that the costume's appearance, along with the promotional images used to market it, evoked historical blackface caricatures and minstrel-show imagery. By Sunday, the product page was no longer available, and Target's website displayed a message stating that the page was "currently unavailable." Metadata from the website showed the product was published this summer. The controversy quickly spread across Threads, TikTok and other social media platforms, where some users accused the retailer of being insensitive to the history of racist depictions of Black Americans.
Several commenters compared the costume to the "Jim Crow" character popularized in 19th-century minstrel performances, which relied on exaggerated and derogatory stereotypes of Black people. Newsweek reached out to Target via email for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication. https://www.instagram.com/p/DcZnlB0Cc5u/ In light of the controversy over the costume, social media users started discussing boycotting Target and some even encouraged Black people to stop shopping at the store and giving the store their money. The backlash comes at a difficult time for Target, which has spent much of the past two years navigating a series of politically charged controversies that have alienated consumers across the ideological spectrum.
In early 2025, the company faced criticism and boycott calls after scaling back several diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The boycott effort was spearheaded by a coalition of Black faith leaders and churches, who accused Target of retreating from commitments it had previously made to Black consumers and communities. The controversy became significant enough that Target executives later acknowledged the impact on business performance, with customer traffic and sales coming under pressure.
As the company struggled to regain momentum, it announced plans to eliminate roughly 500 positions across distribution centers and regional offices in early 2026. The Halloween costume dispute is now drawing renewed scrutiny from critics who argue the retailer has become increasingly disconnected from the diverse customer base it has long sought to attract. While there is no evidence the costume was intentionally designed to evoke racist imagery, opponents say the fact that it reached Target's online storefront at all raises questions about the company's internal review processes and cultural sensitivity standards.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Kate Nalepinski and Cristina Diciu.
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