A major online retailer is at the core of the most recent racial scandal, as they attempt to apologize in the wake of the controversy.
Last week, Groupon, was hit with a major scandal as they worked to take down a racial advertisement that included the n-word to describe a pair of boots being sold by a third-party vendor.
According to the initial screen shot, in the ad for “Women’s Fringed Suede Moccasin Boots,” the n-word was used to describe one of the available colors of the foot wear.
Assemblyman Walter T. Mosley (D-Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Prospect Heights, Crown Heights), was notified of the situation on March 28, the day the ad was first noticed and immediately demanded consequences.
“I am appalled and disheartened to say the least, after learning of the highly racist and offensive marketing practices that was placed on Groupon through a third-party vendor. The ad on Groupon used the N-word to describe the color of boots being sold, and I condemn both the third-party seller, whose name must be shared with the public so that we can ensure they do not make a single dollar more off of their racism and bigotry, as well as Groupon for allowing such hatred to make it onto their website,” said Mosley.
The third-party vendor was revealed to be Margines. The advertisement was immediately taken down once Groupon was notified about its presence on its site and issued an apology for the offensive content.
“We are appalled that this language was displayed on our site,” a Groupon spokesperson told Fortune. “This product description was provided by a third-party seller via our self-service platform. Regardless, this is completely unacceptable and violates our policies — to say nothing of our values.
However, the apology fell on deaf ears as Mosley went on to commit to boycotting the online website, even so far as urging others to join in the fight against racial injustices.
“The increased level of racially motivated crimes and offenses has not gone unnoticed, as they continue to seep into our daily lives. I will not stand by while our children and families are subjected to such bigotry in their daily activities, such as online shopping. Therefore, I will be boycotting Groupon and encourage others to do the same,” added Mosley.
This is the second controversy to hit an online retail giant in recent months. Back in January, Swedish clothing company H&M ran a children’s campaign that included a dark-skinned child modeling a sweatshirt that read “coolest monkey in the jungle.” The image on the website immediately sparked backlash including the closure of H&M stores in South Africa.
“I am extremely disappointed in Groupon as they are ultimately responsible for approving all ads, including language and fine print,” added Mosley.
