Walmart bowed to criticism and announced it would stop allowing sales of “All Lives Matter” merchandise.
America’s largest retailer said it had just come to its attention that this phrase “minimized” Black Lives Matter.
“Recently, some associates and customers have raised concerns about ’All Lives Matter’ products,” the company said in a statement.
“As we listened, we came to understand that the way some, but not all, people are using the phrase ’All Lives Matter’ in the current environment intentionally minimized the focus on the painful reality of racial inequity … The lives being impacted by ongoing racial injustice are the lives of Black people and people of color, and that’s why we are placing an emphasis there,” the company explained.
The products, mostly clothes, were being sold on the company’s website by third parties, rather than in the Walmart’s brick-and-mortar stores. But the retailer — which also banned the sale of Mississippi’s Confederate-banner state flags last week — are being removed “indefinitely.”
The company also has come under fire for allowing sales of other “Lives Matter” slogans and parodies — including “Blue Lives Matter,” “Irish Lives Matter” and “Homeless Lives Matter.”
However Tuesday’s statement did not say that those products would be removed.
“We are also increasing our scrutiny of various ’Lives Matter’ products on our marketplace to ensure compliance with our terms and conditions,” Walmart said.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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