Gap Kids has issued an apology after releasing an ad campaign image that some say has racist implications.
The brand’s Ellen DeGeneres kids’ clothing line released its newest campaign Friday, with one picture featuring four members of an all-kid circus troupe. Controversially, a white troupe member is leaning on her black peer’s head.
The company captioned the image, “Meet the kids who are proving that girls can do anything.”
The post immediately incited a backlash on Twitter.
“Proving girls can do anything... unless she’s Black,” wrote one user. “Then all she can do is bear the weight of White girls. #EpicFail.”
“Thanks for perfectly illustrating what ‘passive racism’ looks like in mainstream media. #DiversiryFail She is NOT your arm rest,” wrote another.
“Someone needs to get fired. It was ignorant in the first place to have 1 token black girl, then you make her the arm rest?” griped one tweeter.
Some disagreed, saying that “people become offended way too easily” and chiding other users, “Don’t make race an issue and it won’t be.”
As the tweets poured in over the weekend, Gap pulled the ad and issued an apology.
“As a brand with a proud 46-year history of championing diversity and inclusivity, we appreciate the conversation that has taken place and are sorry to anyone we've offended,” company spokesperson Debbie Felix said in a statement released to the Daily News.
“This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment.
“We are replacing the image with a different shot from the campaign, which encourages girls (and boys) everywhere to be themselves and feel pride in what makes them unique.”
The original tweet was still online as of Tuesday afternoon, but the company has removed the image from their website.
Felix explained that the latest ad campaign was intended to be about empowerment, so it features girls doing cool things. A similar campaign last fall featured skaterboarders, a drummer and entrepreneurs.
This year’s campaign features seven girls total, including four from the LePeTiT CiRqUe acrobatics troupe, which bills itself as the only all-kid humanitarian circus.
In a GapKids x ED interview with DeGeneres, the girls said that one day they will all run for president so that they can make kindness a law.
http://m.nydailynews.com/news/natio...tter-ire-accusations-racism-article-1.2589475
