Target says it will stop selling products dedicated to Civil Rights icons from a new viral TikTok spotlighted some significant errors.
In a video posted earlier this week, Las Vegas high school teacher Terra Espy displayed how three Civil Rights icons — Carter G. Woodson, WEB DuBois and Booker T. Washington — were misidentified in the magnetic learning activity.
«These need to be pulled off the shelves immediately,» Espy, who uses the TikTok handle @issatete, says in her Tuesday video. “I teach US History … and I noticed som discrepancies as soon as I opened this.”
In a Friday interview with The Associated Press, Espi explained that she had purchased the «Civil Rights Magnetic Learning Activity» at the end of January, in hopes of giving it to her kids. But when the product is opened to the man, it is done by mistake and shared them online.
Soon after, Target confirmed that it would stop sales of the product.
«We will no longer be selling this product in stores or online,» Minneapolis-based Target said in a statement. «We’ve also ensured the product’s publisher is aware of the errors.»
Target did not immediately address how long the product had been for sale, or timeline for when its removal would be complete. The products were removed at the beginning of Black History Month, which Target and other retailers are commemorating with special collections aimed at celebrating Black history.
The erroneous magnetic activity featured in Espy’s video has a Bendon manufacturing label. The Ohio-based children’s publisher did not immediately respond to requests for statements Friday.
Aix of Friday, Espi said that Target and Bendon must approach. While she said she is glad the product has been removed from shelves, she also said she was disappointed not to see an apology from the companies yet.
In addition to apology, Espy said the incident underlines the importance of reviewing products before making them available to consumers — which would help avoid harmful errors like this down the road.
«Google is free, and like I caught it in two seconds. They could have caught it by just doing a quick Google search,” she said.
Espi added that she appreciated the support from fellow TikTok users who helped make sure the errors didn’t go unnoticed.
«I’m happy that people are realizing that history, period, matters,» she said.
