Target has once again missed the bullseye on month-long celebrations.
After a catastrophic Pride Month during which the retail giant lost billions in a boycott over the marketing of LGTBQ+ clothing to children, they’ve kicked off Black History Month with a magnet book that misidentified three civil rights icons.
Target has admitted that they mixed up W.E.B. DuBois, Booker T. Washington, and Carter G. Woodson and are pulling the embarrassing book off the shelves. The company has also alerted the product’s producers to their colossal error.
It was Issa Tete, a history teacher with a social studies background, who highlighted the now-viral boo-boo in a TikTok video on Tuesday.
“Idk who needs to correct it but it needs to be pulled off the shelves nonetheless,” the teacher captioned her video. “Any person could have missed the mistake but it just takes one person to point it out and ask for corrections #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #blacktiktok.”
@issatete Idk who needs to correct it but it needs to be pulled off the shelves nontheless. Any person could have missed the mistake but it just takes one person to point it out and ask for corrections #blackhistory #blackhistorymonth #blacktiktok ♬ original sound – Issa tete
Billed as a “magnetic learning activity,” the book packs a bunch of civil rights-themed magnets with slogans, dates, and colorfully illustrated historic faces into a commemorative magnetic tin.
“I don’t know who’s in charge of Target,” Tete says in the video, “but these need to be pulled off the shelves, like, immediately.”
She then points out the “discrepancies.”
For starters, an image of Pan-Africanist civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois was identified as Carter G. Woodson, founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.
Educator and reformer Booker T. Washington was mislabeled as W.E.B. DuBois, and the image of Carter G. Woodson was identified as Booker T. Washington.
“I get it, mistakes happen,” Tete says, “but this needs to be corrected. ASAP.”
“We will no longer be selling this product in stores or online,” a Target spokesperson told Fox News in a shared statement. “We’ve also ensured the product’s publisher is aware of the errors.”
On X, few are as forgiving as Tete.
When it comes to the African American community they always messing something up pic.twitter.com/HPPNCGFN9M
— legendarygame_mk (@Kingquis38) February 1, 2024
Okay Target we need some answers
— $enpai (@LasalleCamm) February 1, 2024
Maybe someone that was Black American should of been put in charge!
Target pulls Black History Month product from shelves that mixed up three civil rights iconshttps://t.co/3AiSybeETY— Elder Max (@Patriot9_11) February 2, 2024
According to one user on X, “This is what happens when ignorant corporations virtue signal.”
This is what happens when ignorant corporations virtue signal. https://t.co/wErQHEkhdJ
— MPLS_Muse (@MPLS_muse) February 2, 2024
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.