New Gap Kids ad slammed for racial undertones

Gap Kids is finding itself in a swirl of controversy for an ad that some on Twitter are saying projects a racist subtext.

At first glance, the tweet sent Saturday, looks ordinary: Four girls from the children’s acrobatic group Le Petit Cirque pose for the brand’s Ellen Degeneres line of clothing, GapKids X ED, with the caption “meet the kids who are proving that girls can do anything.”

But in the top right picture, one girl is posing with her arm on a shorter black girl’s head, with some say showing her as merely being support for the white girls that can “do anything.”

Here’s the tweet in question:

Reaction was swift amongst its followers, particularly among Black Twitter users, who slammed Gap Kids:

Commenters also took aim at Gap’s marketing department for approving the ad:

Gap didn’t immediately reply for comment.

Update: Gap spokesperson Debbie Felix has issued an apology to anyone offended.

“This GapKids campaign highlights true stories of talented girls who are celebrating creative self-expression and sharing their messages of empowerment,” she said. “We are replacing the image with a different shot from the campaign, which encourages girls (and boys) everywhere to be themselves and feel pride in what makes them unique.”

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