I personally wasn't offended by the Gap ad but I can understand that someone seeing that ad could be triggered. There is definitely a history of black people being used as props. I researched the issue a little further and learned that Gap has done this in the past but the race was reversed with a white girl being used as a prop for a black girl. Whoever was in charge of this ad campaign probably thought nothing was wrong doing it the other way around without thinking about the historical context of it. Also, I'm guessing they saw no harm in it because the two girls in the picture are actually sisters. Their white mother was interviewed and was defending it. My concern for that little black girl is that her mother will be dismissive of racially sensitive topics such as this in the future. It's possible the woman didn't see it as a big deal because they are her daughters. Here's hoping that little girl learns about her self worth.
I personally wasn't offended by the Gap ad but I can understand that someone seeing that ad could be triggered. There is definitely a history of black people being used as props. I researched the issue a little further and learned that Gap has done this in the past but the race was reversed with a white girl being used as a prop for a black girl. Whoever was in charge of this ad campaign probably thought nothing was wrong doing it the other way around without thinking about the historical context of it. Also, I'm guessing they saw no harm in it because the two girls in the picture are actually sisters. Their white mother was interviewed and was defending it. My concern for that little black girl is that her mother will be dismissive of racially sensitive topics such as this in the future. It's possible the woman didn't see it as a big deal because they are her daughters. Here's hoping that little girl learns about her self worth.