Big Business In The Material World: H&M

”Due to a controversial item sold on H&M’s website and lack of diversity, the global clothing giant has been deemed racist by many people. On January 7, 2018, H&M premiered a questionable “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” sweatshirt being modeled by an African American child while a white model wore a “Survival Expert” hoodie. It offended and upset numerous people around the world. The hoodie was pulled from the website the next day. H&M issued an apology but the damage was already done. Also in 2015 the company was under fire for racist tweets.

H&M faced massive backlash from the public for the hoodie incident. In response, a H&M store was vandalized in South Africa. Many consumers decided to boycott H&M. Music Powerhouse,”The Weeknd” cut ties and refused to support them. The Weeknd and G Eazy both cancelled partnerships with H&M. A-list celebrities such as Lebron James and P Diddy were vocal about how disrespectful the image was.

The term “monkey” has a racist and negative connotation. The word ”monkey” has a devastating history behind it for African Americans. In order for slavery to be justified, African Americans were dehumanized. They began being compared to apes and monkeys. Black people were controlled and treated as pets. For a successful company to unknowing promote a racist product is unsettling. It was mind boggling that H&M didn’t take this into account when dressing the black model. The hoodie offended not only black people but many other ethnicities. In another instance when asked why they don’t have black models, their response was ”H&M’s marketing has a major impact and it is essential for us to convey a positive image. ” The public did not accept this comment. The comment was distasteful and appeared to state that having black models as the cover did not convey a positive image. The statement was offensive to African Americans. H&M issued an apology stated “In no way does H&M state that positivity is inside linked to an ethnic group” and that it “embraces all people who are inspired by fashion, regardless of ethnic background, gender or culture. ”

In conclusion H&M has made efforts to include more diversity, after years of controversy regarding racism. After the backlash with hoodie, H&M hired a diversity leader. The global manager’s name is Annie Wu. In a recent H&M commercials, more diverse actors are being showcased. In August 2018, a back school commercial featured 5 African Americans, 2 Asians, 4 white children. In another ad, two famous black celebrities Nicki Minaj and Jesse William were included in the Christmas commercial.