ARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 21: A guest wears black opaque tights, black canvas high-top Converse sneakers shoes with white laces, white rubber toe caps and soles, and a circular CONVERSE ALL STAR logo patch on the ankle, outside 3.PARADIS, during Paris Fashion Week - Menswear Fall/Winter 2026-2027, on January 21, 2025 in Paris, France (Photo by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images)
An ad posted by Converse on Threads on Thursday, September 3, has sparked controversy as the public says the image appears to feature KKK-like imagery.
The Converse ad features a person wearing a white garment and black-and-white Converse sneakers. The person is also holding a pair of black and white all-star Chuck 70 X high-top sneakers as they stand on a star lit up with a spotlight.
One person shared the promo on Threads with the caption, “If you dont know anything about whats being said about this Converse photo ad on social media Good. Tell me what you see with your own eyes.”
View on Threads
As of Friday, September 18, the ad was still featured on Converse’ Threads’ page.
Folks weighed in with the quickness over the Converse ad on Threads, and everyone saw the same thing.
As The Shade Room reported, Target apologized after the company shared an ad for a racist Halloween costume. Target promoted controversy with the Kids Glows under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume Bodysuit from Hyde & EEK! Boutique line.
The costume looks exactly like Blackfacecaricatures from theminstrel show and Jim Crow eras.
Minstrel shows were performed by white folks wearing shoe polish, burnt cork, or on their faces. They portrayed Black people as cowardly, ignorant, lazy, superstitious, hyper-sexual, and foolish. Additionally, they painted exaggerated smiles on their faces. The Target costume featured the same offensive images, and backlash ensued. Subsequently, Target issued an apology.
“As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry,” reads the statement. “The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale. We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this wont happen again.”
