In Sweden for about ten years ago when we had an black women in the government, Nyamko Sabuni, (right wing liberal)  she was always by a sort of people on Flashback (it is like a Swedish uncensored version of Reddit) referred to as the ape or the monkey, and there is like no way H&M could not known that. I do think it was an honest mistake from their side, but as long as people keep using the word ape or monkey as a negative term for black people, you don't put a black kid in a tee with that message.

Yes.. but as long as people keep freaking out when a black kid is put in a tee with that message.. people will continue to associate black people with apes or monkeys.

They could never make this show with a black cast…
Youtube Video

That's the 2015 and 2016 ads for GAP.  One of them is racist and the other is fine.

Since there's a long history of racists in the USA calling black people 'monkeys' and 'apes' it's a slur to call a black kid a 'monkey'.

A big problem is that people mean two completely different things by 'racist'  (or sexist or homophobic or anti-Semitic). The first is saying that an individual has a personal bias.  That isn't all that common now and most likely is not the case here.  The second is saying that we live in a society with a history that gives adventages to some people and disadvantages to others.  Sometimes it's subtle - as a Jew I have to use my vacation time to follow my own holidays but am not allowed to work on somebody else's holidays since I live in a Christian majority country.  Not one person has to be "Jew-hating" for that to happen.

The same with countries that don't allow same-sex marriage.  Nobody has to be overtly homophobic to have the effect that gives a disadvantage to homosexuals.