Subscribe
NewsOne Featured Video
CLOSE

Updated November 19, 2018, 9:00 a.m., EDT

Macy’s spokesperson Radina Russell sent this statement exclusively to NewsOne in response to our orignial post below:

“We appreciate our customers reaching out to share feedback on our holiday pajama images. We apologize. These are some of a number of images were that were intended to celebrate families and togetherness, and our intent was never to offend. It’s important for us to know when we have missed the mark, and we appreciate that our customers let us know. At Macy’s, we are guided by our corporate values of Acceptance, Respect, Integrity and Giving Back. We know we are at our best when what we do fully reflects the rich diversity of our colleagues, customers and communities nationwide. We have shared the comments with our creative team and plan will have a thorough discussion on how to be more thoughtful in the future.”

 

Original Story:

Macy’s came under fire on social media by Twitter users who were appalled that images in the department store’s new holiday ad appeared to be missing Black dads in a traditional family setting.

SEE ALSO: 72 Percent Of Black Kids Raised By Single Parent, 25% Overall In U.S.

“So I’m just trying to understand this advertisement Macy’s has…. So they make the black woman a single mother, and the black man gay AND in an IR relationship. Meanwhile BOTH white families are traditionally structured…THROW THEE ENTIRE AD AWAY #Macys #Foh #NegativeStereotype,” one Twitter user posted on Saturday.

It’s unclear whether Macy’s has more than these four family images in its holiday ad campaign. However, these pictures touched a sore spot for many.

 

Like fathers of all colors and creeds, some dads are not married to the mother of their children. But that doesn’t mean that they were uninvolved in their children’s lives.

Black men, compared to white and Hispanic fathers, were the most involved in their children’s daily lives—from talking to their kids to helping them with homework—according to a 2013 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study.

Most Black fathers live with their sons and daughters, the book “All In” by Josh Levs noted. About 2.5 million Black fathers live with their children, while approximately 1.7 million of them don’t live under the same roof with their kids. Many of these fathers didn’t marry the mother of their children, but that doesn’t make them absentee fathers, as the New York Times’ Charles Blow underscored.

Still, not everyone was angry with Macy’s ad.

“People are more concerned about the portrayal of black single mothers then actual black single mothers. The only way Macy’s could releases that ad and not get any backlash is because being a black single mom is the norm. But I don’t see anyone trying to change that,” posted a Twitter user who goes by the handle @Tears4Clowns.

Another Twitter user simply called the backlash “fake outrage.”

SEE ALSO:

Kanye West Donated Money To The Family Of Jemel Roberson

‘Forever My Lady’: One Of The Most Iconic R&B Slow Jams Was Written For Kim Porter

 

Kim Porter’s Life In Photos
'The Holiday Calendar' Special Screening Los Angeles
12 photos