Target has drawn public ire after one of its children’s Halloween costumes was called out for its racist imagery.Gado via Getty ImagesTarget has drawn public ire after one of its children’s Halloween costumes was called out for its racist imagery. The Target website featured a Black child wearing a costume and posing in a manner that looked eerily similar to minstrel-era Jim Crow imagery that depicted Black people in racially stereotypical ways with largely exaggerated features, such as a large grin and oversized red lips. The company issued a public apology and has since deleted the costume from their website. In a statement to Forbes, a Target spokesperson shared, “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.”This is not the first time that Target has sparked public backlash. For over a year, many consumers have been boycotting the company after three Minnesota-based activists called for a public boycott due to the company’s rollback of DEI initiatives. According to a report from earlier this month, Target had been making financial gains after a rocky 2025—a decline that was partially attributed to the DEI consumer boycotts. Nekima Levy Armstrong was one of the three Minnestoa activists who called for a Target boycott in January of 2025.Star Tribune via Getty ImagesWhen creating products, corporations must do more to ensure that equity is at the forefront during the ideation process. We’ve seen this pattern happen enough times for companies to know better: H&M, Prada and Gucci already made the same mistake Target did years ago; Target should have learned from their situations and put more guardrails in place to ensure equity. At the bare minimum, companies should have a researcher and an equity-focused consultant to lean on when products are being created. Also consider who is in the room when these decisions are greenlit and whether there is representation among those making these vital decisions. Target can teach corporations many valuable lessons. First, before completely eradicating DEI programs, it’s vital to consider how you will continue doing the critical work of ensuring that company practices, policies and procedures are fair and equitable. Without formalized processes and structures in place, many corporations will fall short of their commitments. Many online have pointed out that if Target hadn’t eliminated their DEI initiatives, there would have likely been more safeguards in place to prevent such a major faux pas like a racist costume from coming to fruition.Another lesson that Target teaches us is that it’s important to stand firm in your values. It’s hard to resist the urge to capitulate to public demands but if this runs counter to your stated values and mission, it’s not worth it. Ensuring that corporate actions are aligned with corporate statements is imperative. Contrary to the popular saying that if you “go woke, you’ll go broke,” a corporation’s best plan is to bake equity into products, policies, practices and procedures at every level. In today’s world, consumers are more outspoken and much more willing to boycott a person, product or business that disrespects them or demonstrates a misalignment in values. In 2026, it’s no longer cool to care about DEI but the pendulum will swing back and those who did the work to ensure that DEI was embedded into the workplace will be the ones that end up winning in the end.