Gap Reaches New Low with “Manifest Destiny” T-Shirt

The Gap Manifest Destiny Shirt

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Update 10/15/12/3:30 p.m. –  Gap ‏@Gap Thanks for your feedback about the “Manifest Destiny” t-shirt. Based on customer feedback, we will no longer sell the T.

Update 10/15/12 1:30 p.m. – Gap has apparently pulled the “Manifest Destiny” T-shirt from their online store.

T-shirt designer apologizes for “survival of the fittest” comment via twitter:
mark mcnairy ‏@mmcnairy

“I AM SORRY FOR MY SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST COMMENT. IT HURT ME DEEPLY TO BE CALLED A RACIST AS THAT IS NOT ME. I REACTED WITHOUT THINKING.”

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Gap, Inc. has officially declared that they will “no longer sell” the “Manifest Destiny” T-shirt.

Clothing designer Mark McNairy has created a t-shirt for Gap, Inc. emblazoned with the words, “Manifest Destiny.”
Of course, “Manifest Destiny” was the banner settler colonizers waved while waging genocidal wars against Indigenous Peoples.
The American Indian Movement of Southern California has initiated a campaign calling on Gap, Inc to discontinue production of the tshirt and issue a formal apology. You can sign the petition here: www.change.org/petitions/gap-discontinue-the-manifest-destiny-tshirt-and-issue-a-formal-apology.

Image from AIM Socal

Gap Inc, has been under serious scrutiny for exploitative labor practices within the past couple of decades, maybe they are just now making their intentions more clear?
I certainly don’t think a shirt with “Arbeit macht frei” would have made it this far.

AIM Socal is calling for further action:

Contact the t-shirt designer directly: info@markmcnairy.com

Contact GAP and/or write a review of this shirt on GAP’s merchandise page:

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=47214&vid=1&pid=349697002

Phone: 1-614-744-3907

Email: custserv@gap.com
www.gapinc.com

New York Product Development
55 Thomas St.
Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10011212-604-0020