Target pulls 'Baby Daddy' Father's Day card after complaints it's racist
Target has issued an apology regarding a Father's Day card that's drawn significant backlash from shoppers who say it's racially insensitive.
The controversial card at features an African-American man and woman embracing with "Baby Daddy" illustrated across the cover.
Target shopper Takeisha Saunders was the first known person to express frustration and anger over the card, writing May 31 on Facebook: "You CANNOT be serious Target!!!! Really!!!?!!!!? This was the only Father’s Day card that featured a black couple!!!!!!"
Target issued a statement on Wednesday saying it wants "all guests to feel welcomed and respected" and "it's never our intent to offend any of our guests with the products we sell."
The card has been, or is in the process of being removed from Target stores across the country.
"We were made aware of some concerns about this card last week and are working with our vendor to have it removed from Target stores," the Minneapolis-based retailer said. "We appreciate the feedback and apologize. It’s never our intent to offend any of our guests with the products we sell."
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The baby daddy card was made by Cleveland-based American Greetings, which has informed its product team that it "missed the mark" with the design and has pulled the card from all stores.
"Please accept our sincerest apologies and know we will do better in the future," it said.
This is the second Father's Day card in the last few weeks that American Greetings has apologized for, having also pulled a card from store shelves after backlash over a cover that said "Fatherhood is not for sissies."
The term "baby daddy," according to Dictionary.com, refers to "the father of one or more of a woman's children, especially one who is not her husband or current partner."