This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
CELEBRITIES joined in criticism of fashion retailer H&M today, after it featured what has widely been perceived as a racist slogan on one of its children’s items.
A photo on its website showed a black child wearing a hoodie bearing the slogan: “Coolest monkey in the jungle.”
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku took to Instagram to post an amended version, saying: “Black is beautiful.”
He commented: “You’re prince, soon to be a king. Don’t let anybody tell you different,” using the hashtag #blackexcellence.
The post received more than 150,000 likes in less than 12 hours.
Singer The Weeknd, who has previously modelled for and sold merchandise through H&M, pledged to end his association with the company.
He stated that he was “deeply offended” by the ad, which made him feel “shocked and embarrassed.”
Labour MP Kate Osamor tweeted: “I was totally shocked, dismayed to say the very least to find this online imagine” and asked if H&M “think this imagery is an appropriate representation of a young black boy?”
Scores of social media users showed their outrage at similar items, such as a bikini bearing the words “Black Queen” but modelled by a white woman, with one person stating of the brand: “They hate us [black people] but want our culture.”
H&M has since apologised for the ad and the image of the child in the hoodie has been removed from its website.
A spokeswoman for the retailer said: “We’re deeply sorry that the picture was taken and we also regret the actual print.”