“Please Tell Me You’re Making This Up...”: The Internet Is Absolutely HORRIFIED By Target’s Halloween Costume That Resembles A Racist Caricature
by Tanishtha Kotian · BuzzFeedPosted 3 minutes ago
Halloween is, without a doubt, one of the most popular holidays celebrated in the U.S. Even though it is celebrated on October 31, people start preparing their costumes way in advance. And one of the places that has these costumes is Target. But a couple of days ago, one of their costumes came under fire and was on the receiving end of a LOT of backlash.
On August 24, 2026, people on the internet came across a new Halloween costume for boys. It might have needed a double take, but not for some—users immediately recognized it.
I GASPED. HOW did that get past EVERY SINGLE PERSON in the process??? 😭
— Lana the Bug 🪲💕 (@lanabeesfw) August 25, 2026
Lana the Bug 🪲💕 / Via x.com
This is the costume in question:
Several users compared the costume to an infamous character that was used to represent Black people in the 19th century. This offensive, exaggerated and stereotypical caricature is known as Jim Crow.
Public Domain, commons.wikimedia.org
Jim Crow was created by Thomas Dartmouth Rice, an American performer and playwright, in 1828. Rice came across a Black person singing a song with the following lyrics in New York: "Come listen all you galls and boys, I'm going to sing a little song, My name is Jim Crow. Weel about and turn about and do jis so, Eb'ry time I weel about I jump Jim Crow." Using this song as inspiration, Rice appeared on stage as "Jim Crow," an exaggerated, highly stereotypical black character. Rice was one of the first performers to wear blackface makeup, and his performance as Jim Crow became a success. After a while, Jim Crow became a stock character in minstrel shows across the country.
According to some accounts, this song was sung by an elderly Black enslaved man who walked with difficulty, while others attribute it to a Black stable boy.
The portrayal of Jim Crow popularized pre-existing stereotypes against Black people, poking fun at their distinct physical traits. By 1838, "Jim Crow" was being used as a collective racial epithet for Black people. By the end of the 19th century, "Jim Crow laws" would be used to describe the discriminatory laws that oppressed Black people in the U.S.
People immediately took to social media platform X and called out the company for putting up the offensive costume that has this convoluted history. Many even questioned how this product was approved by the higher-ups.
Some expressed some well-deserved shock...
And some questioned how the company could get away with it.
"...selling a Jim Crow style costume while using a black child to model it..." remarked one user.
It’s almost comedic how ridiculous this is lol. As if there aren’t a million characters for kids to dress as, selling a Jim Crow style costume while using a black child to model it.. Disgusting & intentional and worse of all this’ll be forgotten within a week’s worth of headlines
— phillip j. freeman/huey fry (@mykhkul) August 25, 2026
phillip j. freeman/huey fry / Via x.com
And if you think it doesn't get worse, it does: one user pointed out that the costume looked like THIS under blacklight. Talk about leaving a bad taste in people's mouths.
#Target knew exactly what they were doing. They knew this costume on this Black child looked like racist minstrel imagery. And that’s why we called them on their BS. And now the costume is gone. THIS is why we boycotted them. #boycott pic.twitter.com/1TM1VV1H0G
— Laverne | College Scholarships (@MrsMickens97) August 23, 2026
Laverne | College Scholarships / Via x.com
After receiving intense backlash, Target de-listed the costume from their website. The company then released an official 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."
According to Reuters, the company did not comment on who designed the costume or "the process by which it was green-lit for sale." This incident is another disappointment for the Black community, as Target pulled back their DEI policies in 2025, following President Trump's comments on some aspects of DEI being illegal and threats of investigation into private companies that practiced them. One of the revoked policies aimed to increase the number of Black employees by 20% over the next three years.
Some people online are stating that this entire incident could have been avoided if DEI policies were not revoked.
if only @Target had some diversity, equity, and inclusion among their chain of comm— oh wait pic.twitter.com/oR1hpwQ6nG
— bonky (@shesbonky) August 25, 2026
bonky / Via x.com
The DEI dept — if it still existed — would’ve flagged that immediately.
Target, is this your ploy to reinstate that department without seeming like to caved to the boycott? If so, it’s certainly…creative…and I like creativity. If not, make it so! Course-correction is past due. https://t.co/M1ah7EJzlR
— OB (@OhBeWon_redux) August 24, 2026
OB / Via x.com