Walmart Will Stop Selling “All Lives Matter” T-Shirts Online Following Backlash

“Blue Lives Matter” items are still available for purchase online.
Walmart store in Teterboro New Jersey.
Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Mega retailer Walmart is retiring “All Lives Matter” merchandise from its online catalog "indefinitely" after receiving intense backlash from shoppers and workers — USA Today reported on June 29.

Though available via the Walmart website, the merchandise in question was sold by third-party sellers. Regardless of its manufacturer, many shoppers considered the merch to be and insulting to the current moment, as the country continues to protest police brutality in the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others.

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In response to the widespread backlash, the retailer decided to withdraw the products from its online roster. "We fundamentally believe all lives do matter and every individual deserves respect,'' a Walmart spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. "However, as we listened, we came to understand that some, but not all, people using the phrase 'All Lives Matter' in the current environment intentionally minimized the focus on the painful reality of racial inequity." 

The “All Lives Matter” slogan was birthed after Black activists created Black Lives Matter to raise awareness on police brutality following the death of Trayvon Martin in 2012. The movement has continued to gain momentum around the world in the years since, particularly recently in light of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Elijah McClain, and more.

In the statement to CBS MoneyWatch, Walmart said while it will no longer sell "All Lives Matter" merchandise online, it will continue to sell variations that many still consider inappropriate — including multiple “Blue Lives Matter” items.

According to CNN, last week Walmart also announced they would discontinue displaying the Mississippi state flag, which features a Confederate emblem, in Mississippi stores as lawmakers in the state introduced a bill to retire the flag. As a norm, the retailer displays local state flags in its stores across the country. On June 30, the governor of Mississippi signed the bill into law officially retiring the state flag with the Confederate emblem.

Teen Vogue has reached out to Walmart for further comment.

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