‘You knew what you were doing’: Right-wing commentator calls Target’s controversial Halloween costume ‘obvious’ racism

Right-wing pundit Janelle King said a Target kids Halloween costume was “pretty obvious” racism. She made the comments on CNN’s First of All on Saturday after first thinking reports about the costume were “rage bait.”

King said the issue was more than the costume itself. She said the way the child was posing in the picture left no doubt that there was an attempt to harken back to minstrel shows.

“It tells me that you did do some research, you knew what you were doing,” King said. Host Victor Blackwell said many people online were criticizing the clown costume for being “reminiscent of 19th Century minstrelsy.”

CNN panelists say Target sold the costume after ending DEI programs

CNN showed a side-by-side comparison of the costume and an old photo of a White man performing in blackface makeup. The costume image showed a young Black child holding his hands up in a black-and-orange outfit that included a mask with an exaggerated smile covering part of the child’s face.

“It’s hard to deny the comparison,” Blackwell said. The rest of the panel agreed with that description of the costume. Target pulled the costume after facing backlash and issued an apology. Target’s broader brand challenges, such as when an ice incident tested its community trust image, highlight the importance of corporate oversight. 

Edward Ahmed Mitchell, an attorney and director for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the costume was a “result” of Target dropping its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. He said the company did so because it was “under pressure” from President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The fact that no one in Target saw that image and said this is a bad idea, that it got all the way to being sold, indicates a failure within Target,” Mitchell said. “And that’s why there’s value in having diversity in corporations, there’s value in having these programs, to make sure you’re understanding the sensitivities. Because that – that is unacceptable.”

Bossip columnist Jason “Jah” Lee said Mitchell was spot on. Lee said it was “unfortunate” that Target employees could not tell the costume was offensive. The Target Halloween costume controversy highlights ongoing debates about racial insensitivity in children’s products, as a separate case involved a mom claiming her Black daughter was denied a museum ride. 

Lee noted that Target pulled the costume last week after public backlash. He said, “White people have been taught” what is racist for “a long, long time,” and that they should not need Black coworkers to keep them in check.

“It just begs the question: are you even trying? Are you even trying to understand the things that people point out that they say are offensive and racist?” Lee said. “I know that they don’t like the idea that anything can be racist – nothing can be racist nowadays.”