October is in full swing which means that as the days go by, Halloween is getting much closer. Many parents are gearing up to try and make this Halloween as fun as can be for their kids. With many children still dealing with the social and emotional turmoil left behind by the coronavirus pandemic, parents are just trying to find ways to make this year safe and fun.
Some parents are still opting to allow their kids to go trick-or-treating.
In neighborhoods where families are close, some parents are taking their kids out to trick-or-treat safely. Knowing your neighbors are safe and COVID-free means that everyone can still celebrate and have a good time.
With Halloween and trick-or-treating comes one thing: costumes.
If you’ve ever dressed up for Halloween, you’d know that there is one store that is the center for all things Halloween — Party City. It seems like they are the one place that has it all.
While there are costumes for everyone at Party City, sometimes some of their products can stir up some controversy among customers.
Halloween costumes can sometimes hit the market and have a negative reception from customers. One mother recently spoke out against a costume she saw on sale at Party City, citing that it’s “racist.”
Caroline Brasler of Arlington, Virginia was shopping at Party City when she noticed a costume that didn’t sit right with her.
Brasler told WUSA9 that she usually goes “big” when it comes to Halloween. Her two daughters, Meredith, 12, and Olivia, 10, love the holiday just as much as their mom does.
As they were shopping for their costumes for this year, Brasler said the two costumes on the rack at Party City stopped her in her tracks.
One costume was meant to look like a Confederate soldier’s uniform. The other costume was meant to look like Confederate leader, General Robert E. Lee. Brasler said seeing them on the rack made her angry.
Brasler’s said the costumes hit a particular nerve because of her two daughters.
Meredith and Olivia are Black and Brasler told the news station that her “heart sank” as she saw the costumes in the aisle for children’s inspiration and Halloween costumes.
She slammed Party City in a post on the company’s Facebook page:
“Why is this stocked in your store? I just stopped in to your location in Fall Church, VA for a few items and found this for sale. I turned around and walked right back out the door. This is completely offensive and racist. Pull it from your shelves.”
The reason behind her anger has to do with the symbolism behind the Confederate flag.
“The Confederate flag to me is a symbol of racism. To have that out there for a child to wear on Halloween sends so many horrible messages,” she explained.
Brasler added that she talks to her two daughters about racism and racial issues frequently, as she finds it important.
“I’m the adoptive parent of two beautiful African American girls. We discuss race, we respect race. And to see something like that just flies in the face of everything I try to teach them to be proud young women,” she said.
Party City has since spoken out about the costumes in question.
In a statement, the corporation said:
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“We stand together in solidarity with our diverse colleagues, customers, and communities. [The costumes] are not meant to be offensive in any way.
The costume in question was sold at a franchise location and is not produced or sold in any Party City corporate-owned stores. We have reached out to our franchisees and other partners to remove it from all retail locations ASAP.”
h/t: WUSA9
