H&M under fire for using Black Kid Model to promote Hoodie with Racial Slur

Swedish multinational clothing-retail company Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) is currently being dragged on social media for the above photo showing a black child model being used to promote a hoodie with the inscription, “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle“.

The jumper is one of many variations but the question asked the most is why the black kid was made to promote the very one with a racial slur. See other options below:

H&M is yet to tender an explanation or apology on the issue.

See some reactions below:

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

I’m fucking disgusted. Like…what was the thought process behind this @hm ???

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

Is this part of a publicity stunt? Do some brands want to be dragged on twitter in order to gain more visibility?

Ugh. @hm have always been cancelled but I’m re-cancelling then again with zest.

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

What makes this worse, is that I now have a gaggle of white men in my mentions telling me that there is nothing wrong with this jumper.

I am just…speechless. pic.twitter.com/4AuX6FIm9E

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

As somebody who has been called a monkey many times by white people (both to my face and online), this is absolutely unacceptable.

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

Furthermore, if you’re white, you have absolutely no room, right or scope to tell black people what we should and should not find racist.

Just because YOU don’t experience racism, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

I don’t care if people think I’m being ‘too sensitive’ on this.

Fix your gums to call any child of mine a monkey and I will spin your jaw. Ignorance is not an excuse anymore, it’s 2018.

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

Hmm. What’s sad about this whole thing is the amount of racists in this thread/my mentions saying the most disgusting things, and not understanding why the photo is problematic.

It’s so disappointing. Goodnight. x

— Stephanie Yeboah (@NerdAboutTown) January 7, 2018

Wow. I mean, put it on a child of literally ANY other race. How did NO ONE consider this is inappropriate? Not the photographer, stylist, creative director, editor… I truly wonder if anyone raised a concern that was ignored or they are all just stupid.

— ΛJ (@alanajoy) January 7, 2018

maybe not intended to be racist, but you have to admit its a pretty dreadful oversight.

— Ikechukwu (@SA_kruZz) January 7, 2018

This is not H&m’s first racial controversy. First they didn’t want black models, now this!

— Jane Zolansky (@InJaneTheyTrust) January 7, 2018

What is really sad for me is that I am literally losing the ability to be surprised. If I, as a PoC and for survival, has learned to be desensitized by these microaggressions, HOW do we begin to ensure the regular dismantling of these damaging institutionalized prejudices ?

— Michelle C Hopewell (@MichelleCHope) January 7, 2018

There were also some of the opinion that it was a honest mistake or that it had no racist undertone whatsoever:

You’re just interpreting it as something racist when it’s just modelling, this is what’s wrong with people like you, take offence when something is done with no harming intention

— Kwame (@jkwjohn1) January 7, 2018

Do you know that they’re not calling him a monkey? It’s just a jumper with the name ‘monkey’ on it, you’re making it racist.

— Dylan (@cfcdyIan) January 7, 2018

That was funny.. Not to take seriously.. He is not an monkey! If they had had a monkey i would have been disturbed.

— Micke calmén (@M_calmen) January 7, 2018

That obviously isn’t meant to be racist. It’s only offensive if you choose for it to be, which you have.

— George ? (@hcafcgeorge) January 7, 2018

People who see this as racist are calling the kid a monkey. If you’re matching the monkey connotation to the child then surely you’re calling him a monkey.

I see a lovely black boy. And a cute little monkey jumper. Anyone see anything else?

— ? (@Shnapped) January 7, 2018

Oh and I do understand how this can be seen as racist but how can we move on when you pull up something that was never intended to be racist.

— ? (@Shnapped) January 7, 2018