H&M apologized to customers this morning for modeling a sweatshirt with the words “Coolest Monkey in The Jungle” on a black child after a wave of criticism that the marketing decision was racist erupted on social media.
The discussion began after several Twitter users, including New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow, brought attention to the image Sunday night.
. @hm, have you lost your damned minds?!?!?! pic.twitter.com/EYuCXLZtv3
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) January 8, 2018
Two other hooded sweatshirts in the line, one that says “Survival Expert” and one covered in an animal-shape print, were modeled by white children.
Twitter users called out H&M for serious oversight at best and overt racism at worst in styling a black child in the “monkey” hoodie, considering the long history of the term as a racial slur.
In the year 2018 there’s no way brands/art directors can be this negligent and lack awareness. If look at other sweaters in same category they have white kids. We have to do better. pic.twitter.com/Av4bS4t6yn
— alex medina (@mrmedina) January 8, 2018
https://twitter.com/Mimicgawd/status/950223149328551936
The photos of the child model have since been removed from the company’s e-commerce site.
“We sincerely apologize for this image. It has been now removed from all online channels and the product will not be for sale in the United States,” H&M said in an email statement to Fortune.
The pictures of two white children in the other hoodies remain on the site.
The statement went on to say that the company will be reviewing their “internal routines.”
