"Target is fighting back after being criticized for “Annie”-themed clothing ads showing a white model as Annie, as opposed to an African-American model, or Quvenzhané Wallis, the actress who plays the character in the holiday remake.
LaSean Rinique told Yahoo she launched a Change.org petition after her daughter, an “Annie” fan, noticed that a girl in the ads sporting Annie’s signature red dress and locket was white, unlike Wallis, who appears alongside Jamie Foxx in the movie remake.
“She saw the ad and said to me, ‘That’s not what Annie looks like. How come the new black Annie isn’t good enough? Does that mean I’m not good enough?’” Rinique told Yahoo.
But Target told FOX411 in a statement that at least one African-American model was featured in their “Annie” campaign.
“Girls from a variety of backgrounds were featured within the campaign, reflecting that anyone can embody the spirit and character of Annie,” a store rep stated and supplied a photo showing one of the models is African-American.
In her petition, Rinique demanded Target remove the ads and issue an apology to Wallis."