The Weeknd Cuts Ties With H&M Over Racist "Coolest Monkey In the Jungle" Hoodie
How exactly did this happen?
Ethiopian pop star, The Weeknd has announced that he will no longer work with H&M, following the sale of a racially insensitive hoodie modeled on a black child.
The Swedish retail giant is currently facing intense backlash over an image on their website which shows a young black boy, wearing a green hoodie that reads "Coolest Monkey in the Jungle."
The artist, who collaborated with the brand last year on his very own line, took to Twitter to call out the company and announce his plans to cut ties. "Woke up this morning shocked and embarrassed by this photo. I'm deeply offended and will not be working with H&M anymore," he wrote.
Many have shared similar sentiments about the racially offensive image, and have expressed their outrage on social media. Many are wondering how every single person at H&M managed to be unaware of the racist history of comparing black people to monkeys.
Such occurrences, which appear to be happening quite regularly with large companies, remind us, once again why it's vital to have people of color in executive positions at major corporations. Hollow apologies fix nothing.