Every year around Halloween, it seems that at least one store has to apologize for selling a product that, in hindsight, probably should have never been approved.
This year, that store is Bed, Bath & Beyond. The store received backlash from customers over its black pumpkins, which some say are offensive.
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Unless you’re an avid Halloween fan, you may not have realized that orange pumpkins are quickly going out of style.
Well, not going out of style per se, but other pumpkin colors are taking over from classic orange.
On Pinterest, pastel pumpkins are all the rage this year.
What can I say? Millennials love pumpkins in shades of teal, pink, and lavender.
However, one non-traditional pumpkin color is stirring up some controversy.
A law firm in Nyack, New York was at the center of the controversy because of these black pumpkins they put out on display in front of their office.
The pumpkins featured the names of the law firm’s employees and were purchased at Bed, Bath & Beyond.
However, members of the community condemned the pumpkins for promoting “blackface” imagery.
The pumpkins were removed within 48 hours after being initially set out.
“We understand that someone complained about them and so once we got word of that we immediately took them down,” says Mary Marzolla, a partner at the law firm in an interview with News 12 Westchester.
Since then, the law firm has replaced the pumpkins with traditional, orange ones.
Critics of the pumpkins said the decorations showed an “extreme lack of sensitivity”.
Bed, Bath & Beyond has since removed the black jack-o’-lanterns from their stores and website.
However, black pumpkins which can be personalized with a name or phrase are still available.
Halloween can be a lot of fun but it’s important to remember to be respectful.
Certain costumes or decorations can be offensive to others, so let’s be mindful of that and make sure everyone can have fun.
