Target has declared that it will no longer sell a product devoted to Civil Rights icons following the exposure of significant inaccuracies in a viral TikTok video. In a video shared this week, Las Vegas high school teacher Tierra Espy pointed out errors in the identification of three Civil Rights icons – Carter G. Woodson, W.E.B. DuBois, and Booker T. Washington – in a magnetic learning activity. “These need to be removed from the shelves right away,” said Espy, who uses the TikTok handle @issatete in her video on Tuesday. “I teach U.S. History… and I noticed some discrepancies as soon as I opened this.” In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Espy revealed that she purchased the “Civil Rights Magnetic Learning Activity” at the end of January, intending to give it to her children. However, upon opening the product at home, she quickly noticed the serious errors and shared them online. Shortly after, Target confirmed that it would cease sales of the product. “We will no longer be selling this product in stores or online,” stated Minneapolis-based Target. “We’ve also ensured the product’s publisher is aware of the errors.” Target did not immediately address how long the product had been available for sale or provide a timeline for its removal. The removal of the product comes at the beginning of Black History Month, which Target and other retailers are marking with special collections to celebrate Black history. The flawed magnetic activity featured in Espy’s video bears a Bendon manufacturing label. The Ohio-based children’s publisher did not immediately respond to requests for comments on Friday. As of Friday, Espy mentioned that neither Target nor Bendon had contacted her. While she expressed her relief that the product was taken off the shelves, she also conveyed her disappointment at not receiving an apology from the companies yet. Furthermore, Espy stressed the importance of reviewing products before making them available to consumers to prevent such harmful errors in the future. “Google is free, and like I caught it in two seconds. They could have caught it by just doing a quick Google search,” she remarked. Espy also expressed her gratitude for the support from fellow TikTok users, who ensured that the errors did not go unnoticed. “I’m pleased that people are recognizing the significance of history,” she said.
