Roses are red, violets are blue and let’s be clear: pumpkins are orange, not the new Black!
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Bed, Bath & Beyond got called out for selling what many called Blackface jack-o’-lanterns on their website. The retailer now has pulled the Blackface pumpkins, after getting hit with a barrage of complaints from consumers who frowned at the unnecessary color change, Fox News reports.
In one New York community, a law office got slammed for displaying the Black pumpkins on the steps of the Feerick, Nugent, MacCartney Law Offices on South Broadway. The partners at the firm heard the complaints loud and clear and removed the pumpkins, News 12 reports.
“We understand that someone complained about them, and so once we got word of that we immediately took them down,” said Mary Marzolla, one of the firm’s partners.
“We represent people of all colors and faiths, and we would never do anything to exclude anyone from any community.”
Alak Shah, an associate at the firm, shared her sentiments.
“It’s just nothing I take offense to personally, but since it did offend someone we took proactive steps to take it down,” said Shah.
Wilbur Aldridge, the regional director at the NAACP, condemned the black pumpkin décor.
“By now I would believe everyone [would] know that anything in Blackface is offensive… Equally as offensive is that a retail store would have such an item in [their] inventory for general purchase,” the statement read, according to the outlet.
As for Bed, Bath & Beyond, they have since apologized for offending people, and removed the items from their website and said they are not in store anymore.
“This is a sensitive area and, though unintentional, we apologize for any offense caused,” the spokeswoman said.
READ MORE: Ole Miss honors student wears Blackface, prompts warning
Surprisingly, Bed, Bath and Beyond earlier this year hired a new interim CEO, a Black woman named Mary Winston.
Winston was appointed in the midst of Bed, Bath & Beyond’s troubles and decline in sales, series of layoffs, and 60 store closures by the end of 2019.
This latest news certainly doesn’t help their standing.
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