Target has a new clothing ad campaign that’s partnered with Sony’s Annie remake. However, one ad features a young white girl model, rather than an African American model. That’s controversial, since Quvenzhane Wallis plays the little orphan in the new movie.
The ad is the subject of a Change.org petition, which has earned over 7,100 signatures. Petition author L’Sean Rinique Shelton of Bear, Deleware calls for Target to remove the ads and send Wallis an apology.
“Though the model is quite professional, she does not speak to the relevance of the movie or main character,” Shelton wrote. “When the original Annie came out, everything was about Aileen Quinn or a character/person that emulated her...why not now Target? If you can show it online, show it in ALL of your stores with multiple signage with different girls not one!”
Shelton also spoke with Yahoo Parenting, explaining that her daughter, who is biracial, inspired her petition. When she saw the ad, her daughter asked, “How come the new black Annie isn’t good enough? Does that mean I’m not good enough?”
Target told Fox News that one ad does feature an African American girl. The company said that they had tried to have Wallis participate, but her schedule just didn’t work out.
“Fortunately, we had the pleasure of working with Ms. Wallis a number of times, including appearances at Target’s sales meeting in September and a launch event in New York City in November,” Target said. “We had a great experience working with Ms. Wallis and appreciate her efforts in promoting this collection.”
In her response to Target, Shelton wrote that she understood that Wallis might not be able to appear in the ad herself, adding, “However a reasonable facsimile of Ms. Wallis would have been nice!”
Annie opened in theaters on Dec. 19.
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