A Delaware mother was outraged after seeing an advertisement for a Target clothing line inspired by the movie "Annie" with a white model as the star.
LeSean Rinque said her biracial daughter questioned her own worth after seeing the black child actress Quvenzhané Wallis replaced with a white child in the advertisements.
The ad features the white model wearing a red dress, which is the character Annie's signature look. Rinque and her eight-year-old child came across the advertisement online, and Rinque said her daughter was deeply disturbed by the change.
"She saw the ad and said to me, 'That's not what Annie looks like. How come the new black Annie isn't good enough? Does that mean I'm not good enough?'" Rinque recounted to Yahoo Parenting.
"I explained to her that the original Annie was white, and that both Annies are beautiful, and that sometimes people make mistakes and have to apologise for them," she continued. "Then we started singing 'It's a Hard-Knock Life' while she got back to doing her chores."
The mum didn't sweep the issue under the rug, however. Rinque created a Change.org petition demanding that Target remove the offending advertisement and apologise to Wallis.
"In the current stench of racism and division amongst Americans, why would Target singlehandedly disrespect Quvenzhané Wallis and add more pain to injury as it relates to race relations?" Rinque's petition asked.
"Your recent Annie ads and in-store displays depicts a misleading depiction of the movie as it shows a Caucasion [sic] young lady opposed to the star of the film — Quvenzhané Wallis."
Over 11,000 people have shown support for Rinque's protest.
Target has not apologised for the controversy, but issued a statement regarding the choice of model used in the advertisements.
"At Target, we appreciate the opportunity to hear from our guests," the company said. "We're proud of our Annie for Target collection, which was inspired by the recently released remake of the family classic and designed by the film's costume designer.
"With regard to the marketing of the collection, girls from a variety of backgrounds were featured within the campaign, reflecting that anyone can embody the spirit and character of Annie.
"As for the involvement of Quvenzhané Wallis, we had conversations with her team about being in the campaign, but ultimately it did not come to fruition. 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. We had a great experience working with Ms. Wallis and appreciate her efforts in promoting this collection."
Advertisements for the limited-edition clothing line are scheduled to be removed at the end of this week.
