Target has removed a children’s Halloween costume from its website and apologized after the product sparked widespread criticism over imagery that many people said evoked blackface and racist minstrel-era caricatures.
The costume, sold for $25 under Target’s Hyde & EEK! Boutique Halloween line, was listed as the “Kids’ Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit.” Promotional images showed a young Black boy wearing the orange-and-black outfit, which included black gloves and a dark hood with an exaggerated, painted smile.
Images of the product began circulating widely on social media over the weekend, with critics questioning how the costume and its marketing images made it through Target’s review process. Some users compared the imagery and the child’s pose to racist caricatures historically associated with blackface and minstrel shows.
The backlash quickly grew, with people calling for Target to remove the costume and some users urging others to boycott the retailer. Comedian LaTrez Anderson also criticized the product on social media, adding to the growing conversation around the costume.
By Monday, the costume had been removed from Target’s website.
Target acknowledged the controversy and apologized for the product. In a statement, the company said, “We know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry.” Target also said the costume was offensive and should never have been part of its assortment.
The retailer said the incident was particularly hurtful to its Black customers, employees and partners. Target said removing the costume was the first step and that it was reviewing how the product made it through its internal process and what needed to change to prevent something similar from happening again.
The controversy comes as Target continues to face scrutiny over its approach to diversity, equity and inclusion. The company previously scaled back several DEI initiatives, a decision that drew criticism from some Black consumers and business owners.
For now, the costume is no longer available for sale. But the bigger question being raised online is simple: How did this product—and the images used to market it—make it through Target’s approval process in the first place?
![Floridians…. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, your Republican nominee for governor, defended the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians on CBS’s Face the Nation [@Facethenation] on Sunday and outlined a plan to fill potential gaps in the state’s healthcare workforce through domestic training programs. 😑😑
Host Margaret Brennan noted that about 158,000 Haitians had been living legally in Florida under TPS before the program ended. She cited the State Department’s “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti, pointing to crime, lack of healthcare access, kidnapping risks, and other dangers, and asked whether those conditions justified continued protection. Brennan also referenced fellow Florida Republicans, including Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who have described TPS holders as essential to the workforce, particularly the estimated 100,000 Haitians working in healthcare across the state. She asked how Florida would replace those workers if they were deported.
Donalds addressed conditions in Haiti, saying he has met with the country’s transitional government and its ambassador. “They’re working on security forces right now as we speak to begin to stabilize Haiti. They’ve got about a quarter to half of the country under control from the gangs that basically took over Haiti,” he said.
He then argued that TPS was never meant to be permanent. “The Biden administration, through enforcement, took the ‘T’ off the program. They turned that into a permanent program,” Donalds said, criticizing broader Biden-era policies on borders and asylum.
On the workforce question, Donalds pointed to training Florida’s own young people and adults. “What we want to do is, number one, we want to make sure that our kids coming out of high school are having internships and apprenticeships,” he said. He cited his “Launchpad” initiative, which aims to connect high school juniors and seniors with apprenticeships and internships so they can move directly into jobs upon graduation. He also called for strengthening adult education and career transition programs so workers can shift into high-demand fields like healthcare.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://www.lunionsuite.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/785146914_18626348482023307_7056347389202614411_n-7-512x640.jpg)
![Floridians…. Florida Rep. Byron Donalds, your Republican nominee for governor, defended the Trump administration’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians on CBS’s Face the Nation [@Facethenation] on Sunday and outlined a plan to fill potential gaps in the state’s healthcare workforce through domestic training programs. 😑😑
Host Margaret Brennan noted that about 158,000 Haitians had been living legally in Florida under TPS before the program ended. She cited the State Department’s “Do Not Travel” advisory for Haiti, pointing to crime, lack of healthcare access, kidnapping risks, and other dangers, and asked whether those conditions justified continued protection. Brennan also referenced fellow Florida Republicans, including Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, who have described TPS holders as essential to the workforce, particularly the estimated 100,000 Haitians working in healthcare across the state. She asked how Florida would replace those workers if they were deported.
Donalds addressed conditions in Haiti, saying he has met with the country’s transitional government and its ambassador. “They’re working on security forces right now as we speak to begin to stabilize Haiti. They’ve got about a quarter to half of the country under control from the gangs that basically took over Haiti,” he said.
He then argued that TPS was never meant to be permanent. “The Biden administration, through enforcement, took the ‘T’ off the program. They turned that into a permanent program,” Donalds said, criticizing broader Biden-era policies on borders and asylum.
On the workforce question, Donalds pointed to training Florida’s own young people and adults. “What we want to do is, number one, we want to make sure that our kids coming out of high school are having internships and apprenticeships,” he said. He cited his “Launchpad” initiative, which aims to connect high school juniors and seniors with apprenticeships and internships so they can move directly into jobs upon graduation. He also called for strengthening adult education and career transition programs so workers can shift into high-demand fields like healthcare.
#lunionsuite #haitianamerican](https://scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.82787-15/785146914_18626348482023307_7056347389202614411_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_e35_tt6&_nc_cat=105&ccb=7-5&_nc_sid=18de74&efg=eyJlZmdfdGFnIjoiQ0FST1VTRUxfSVRFTS5iZXN0X2ltYWdlX3VybGdlbi5DMyJ9&_nc_ohc=fCpbKwbfQXgQ7kNvwEepwUz&_nc_oc=AdqrQVW7BlIJLIUkg8y9ZALUR-sS7OTOR982EB_Ym-d_yM5wBqAAfi6rnDe5z2gs13w&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent-yyz1-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&_nc_gid=n92ahIY75hYtgamI8QUN2A&_nc_tpa=Q5bMBQKo5P_NepKy3okMgP0pSceC9LMj9tViJ4AsWtaS99nOV2RN-lf22bE2-iTu9LThS74_OGPSfNAt&oh=00_AQEdMh4kZAMVzSF9u7G2cVv2nLvzf7KDQ9sODOj0g_4UaA&oe=6A938394)
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