Clothing retailer H&M has issued an apology for an image appearing on their U.K. site featuring a Black child model wearing a hooded sweatshirt reading “coolest monkey in the jungle.” The company removed the image from its website and will pull the boys top from its stores nationwide, according to The New York Times.
Read their full apology below.
Unfortunately for the company, it’s too little, too late for some. H&M endorser and pop superstar The Weeknd has cancelled his collaboration with the brand following this debacle.
woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. i’m deeply offended and will not be working with @hm anymore… pic.twitter.com/P3023iYzAb
— The Weeknd (@theweeknd) January 8, 2018
The historical and demeaning comparison between Black people and monkeys wasn’t lost on consumers, who immediately called out the retail giant for being insensitive at best and casually racist at worst.
Whose idea was it at @hm to have this little sweet black boy wear a jumper that says ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’?
I mean. What. pic.twitter.com/6AJfMdQS4L
— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018