We’ll thoroughly investigate why this happened to prevent this type of mistake from happening again. The statement continued: “It’s obvious that our routines haven’t been followed properly. “Therefore, we’ve not only removed the image from our channels, but also the garment from our product offering.” “We’re deeply sorry that the picture was taken, and we also regret the actual print,” the company said in a statement. “You cannot try to defend my son and use the same words to describe me.” “How can you fight racism if you make racist remarks,” she said. She told Gulf News that as a result, some social media users turned on her - and the abuse she received included racist comments, including describing her as a monkey. “ … I really don’t understand but not coz am choosing not to but because it’s not my way of thinking, sorry.” “Everyone is entitled to their opinion about this,” Mango wrote. In another message, Mango said she had been to all of her son’s modelling shoots and was with him when he modelled the hoodie in question. Mango continued: “If I bought that jumper and put it on him and posted it on my pages, would that make me racist? I get pples opinion, but they are not mine.” “Stop crying wolf all the time, unnecessary issue here … get over it.” “Am the mum and this is one of hundreds of outfits my son has modelled,” Mango wrote. In a since-deleted Facebook post, Mango said that Liam had modelled hundreds of clothes and asked people not to blow the issue out of proportion. Liam’s mother Terry Mango – a Kenyan-born Swedish national – told Gulf News that she did not initially consider the slogan a racist one. MK /VZFB1c圆XY- EWN Reporter January 13, 2018 The store has now been closed and entrances leading to the area closed too. #H&M EFF protestors outside the #H&M store in Sandton City Mall. #EFF #H&M A group of EFF supporters earlier protested at the V&A Waterfront’s H&M store against an ad using a black child to model a hoodie with the slogan “coolest monkey in the jungle” - KB /Pt2X6LpzVT- EWN Reporter January 13, 2018 MK /so2At4zoqc- EWN Reporter January 13, 2018 Though H&M has attempted to rehabilitate. In 2018, the retailer published an image of a Black child wearing a hoodie that read, Coolest monkey in the jungle. In August, the company suspended managers who gave a hat an internal product name containing a racist slur. #EFFH&M H&M Store remains closed while the surrounding stores that had closed their doors while the #EFF members were protesting have now reopened their doors. This isn’t the first time H&M landed in hot water over racist practices. The advert sparked global outrage, prompting singer The Weeknd to end his partnership with the brand and condemnation from NBA megastar LeBron James and Manchester United forward Romelu Lukaku.Īnd in South Africa EFF members on Saturday protested at H&M stores in Gauteng and Cape Town. H&M REALLY had a Black boy wearing a hoodie that says “coolest monkey in the jungle” on the front of it?Īs much as I recognize the racism blatantly on display, as a parent of Black children, l have to wonder what in the hell were they doing signing off on this? /4IF9ehVMxS- LEFT✍? January 8, 2018 The global clothing retailer has apologised for the advert which features 5-year-old Liam Mango - a black boy from Sweden - in a hoodie with the wording “Coolest Monkey in the Jungle” on the front. Spanish clothing brand Zara in 2014 removed a stripped pyjamas line with a yellow star after facing outrage over its resemblance to clothes worn by Jewish prisoners in concentration camps.Īnd in October last year, personal care brand Dove apologised after it was accused of racism for airing a commercial showing a black woman turning into a white woman after removing her top.JOHANNESBURG – The mother of the young boy featured in a racist H&M advert has herself been subjected to racism after she defended the advert. H and M is not the only major company to be hit by an advertisement scandal in recent years. A generic photo of the hooded sweatshirt without the modelling child is still available online. The image has since been removed from all H and M channels and the company apologised to anyone it may have offended. You do know that monkey is a known racial slur to black people right? she added. Whose idea was it at to have this little sweet black boy wear a jumper that says 'coolest monkey in the jungle'? style blogger Stephanie Yeboah tweeted on Sunday. The 'hoodie' itself was not the issue but what was written on it, namely 'Coolest Monkey in the Jungle', which has been deemed as racist by some observers.
The online photo was of a young black boy modelling one of H and M's hooded sweaters. Windhoek-A seemingly innocent photo to advertise its clothing line for kids turned nasty for Swedish clothing giant Hennes and Mauritz (H and M) on Monday, causing the retailers to apologise and remove the advertisement immediately.