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Viola Davis Does ‘Not Accept’ Target’s Apology Over Racist Halloween Costume: ‘You Are Not on Our Side’
Viola Davis is not accepting Target’s apology after the retailer came under fire for selling a racist children’s Halloween costume.
The How To Get Away with Murder alum, 61, took to Instagram on Tuesday, August 25, to blast Target for its apology.
“Target, I do not accept your apology, and I do not believe that you understand the impact… the pain… the dehumanization of the above,” she captioned a set of images showing the costume.
“These images laid the foundation and the ideology for every atrocity that has been committed against my people. We MATTER!! You have shown us that you are not on OUR side,” she added.
Davis’s statement came after Target shared a statement of its own online, stating that the costume had been removed and is no longer for sale.
“We removed an offensive Halloween costume that should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer for sale. As a company, we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” Target’s statement, shared via Instagram.
“We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and we are looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.”
The costume image featured a Black child dressed in an orange and black patterned shirt and pants, paired with black gloves and a large mask depicting a smile. People online quickly likened the imagery to racist depictions of Black people and blackface minstrel imagery.
Davis wasn’t the only person to weigh in online after the company released its apology.
“This had to go through various channels before it even got approved for final production…why this didn’t get flagged from initial adoption is crazy to me,” one person wrote on Target’s Instagram account. “Ya’ll really need to relearn A LOT.”
“Words I didn’t see in this apology: investigation… accountability… disciplinary action,” another user commented.
“Ummm this is what happens when D.E.I. is not honored because somebody should have been looking at that,” a third disappointed user wrote.
“I’m stuck on ‘Black Guest,'” another said.
