Bed Bath & Beyond store pulls black jack-o'-lanterns from store shelves after accusations that they are racially insensitive

A New York state Bed Bath & Beyond yanked its inventory of black jack-o'-lanterns from stores because some people complained that the decorations were racially insensitive.

A law firm in Nyack, New York, had recently removed a display of the pumpkins due to community outcry, prompting Bed Bath & Beyond to follow suit.

What are the details?

Bed Bath & Beyond sold black jack-o'-lanterns for the Halloween and fall season, which featured a white grinning mouth with white eyes and nose.

A spokesperson for the store told local Westchester News 12 that there was no intent to offend anyone and that the store "immediately removed the item from sale."

"This is a sensitive area and, though unintentional, we apologize for any offense caused," the spokesperson added.

What else?

Mary Marzolla, a partner at Feerick Nugent MacCartney law offices in Nyack, addressed the role her office played in the store ultimately deciding to remove the products.

"We understand that someone complained about them and so once we got word of that, we immediately took them down," she said. "We represent people of all colors and faiths, and we would never do anything to exclude anyone from any community."

Wilbur Aldridge, who is regional director at the local division of the NAACP, said the pumpkins show an "extreme lack of sensitivity."

"By now I would believe everyone [would] know that anything in Black face is offensive," Aldridge said. "Equally as offensive is that a retail store would have such an item in [their] inventory for general purchase."