Target Becomes the Target, Again

Y’all heard the latest on Target? If not, then grab a beverage and a comfy place to sit because this will blow your mind.

Once Trump took office last year and signed an executive order to end DEI nation-wide, Target was one of the first companies to take a flame to their DEI handbook. Word went out across the land and immediately, the nation responded with a massive boycott of Target. However, Target’s plan to cut DEI did not begin with Trump. It began with a small group of conservatives upset with the corporation’s support of the LGBTQ+ community.

Target, like many mega corporations, loves to wear masks. Every June, corporations don their best “inclusivity” mask and donate money to non-profits, showing how they “support” Pride month. During the release of Pride merchandise in 2023, Target became the center of a controversy from some patrons upset with how the merchandise presented itself on the shelves. This lead to Target scaling back its Pride month support.

Fast forward to 2025, immediately after Trump announced his executive order to end DEI, Target began rebranding itself. One month later, Target did not display any merchandise for Black History month in various stores. Or course, it “hid” Pride month merchandise in a small section of some stores as well. Social Media users’ calls for boycott flooded all SNS apps and the mass movement to bankrupt the company rolled. Target’s response? Change the CEO. Not change it’s selling practice, just the CEO. February 2026, Michael Fiddelke became target’s new CEO and his vision for the company is to focus on customer relationship in the store by forcing retail associates behavior and “smile more.” Since then, Target has quietly exited the spotlight, until now.

Target’s recently released child’s costume for Halloween drags Target right back in the center of the controversial spotlight. Worse, the company actually hired a black child to pose in the hideous costume. Ok, wait. It’s just a costume. Why is everyone upset about it? Sure, if you are ignorant of the historical implications of the costume, you will be confused by why it angers so many people. So, let’s dive in.

The Ministrel Shows date back to the 1800s, when America allowed slavery in most of its southern states. The shows provide entertainment, targeting white slave owners. The production did not cast African American slaves as actors, instead white actors painted their faces black and over-exaggerated Black slaves’ mannerism, habits, speech, etc. This is where the term blackface originates. Unfortunately, blackface continued well past the ending of slavery and can occasionally creep its way into modern American culture. For example, the Target costume.

Target, once realizing the fire storm it concocted, quickly responded by pulling the costume off its online shelves and in some stores. They issued the following statement:

“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members, and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again.” Link to press release

However, with the aid of today’s social media platform, word spreads faster than wildfire. Calls to strengthen boycott efforts scream from social media apps once again, which could hinder the company’s back-to-school profit margin.

My Thoughts

As a black writer, I’m appalled, but not surprise. With Trump’s return to the office and having read the Project 2025 document firsthand, this aligns with the Trump regime’s movement. Since 2025, when I confirmed Target refused to shelf black pride for Black history month, I stopped shopping at red and white. So, learning about the costume doesn’t surprise me. When a racist leads our country, it paves the way for so many others to express their racist ideology openly.

I don’t buy Target’s apology either. You have a whole marketing team and not one person knows the detrimental history of ministrels? Every person on the team looked at the costume and thought, “wow what a great clown costume for kids!” It’s blatant ignorance. The company’s apology seems like something A.I. spat out and they slapped on the website, hoping to smother flames, but ignited them instead.

I understand the call for boycotts, but with Trump’s flip-flopping on tariffs and the over-budgeted war with Iran, I understand the need to supply children with necessities for school and food. Boycotts work well when everyone can make the sacrifice. However, we must be understanding of families who do not have the financial luxury to do so. I, myself, will continue not shopping at Target, unless there are no viable options.

If you would like to learn more about minstrels, here is a link to short one minute clip on their history.