While some applauded Quaker Oats' decision to rebrand its Aunt Jemima
product line in 2020—famous for its pancake mix and maple syrup—the
descendants of the real lady who served as the brand's inspiration termed
the move a "injustice" that only helped to erase Black history.
In response to acknowledging that "Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a
racial stereotype," Quaker Oats declared on June 17, 2020 that it will alter
the name and branding of its Aunt Jemima breakfast items, according to NBC
News. Added a representative:
We must examine our portfolio of brands carefully to make sure they reflect
our values and live up to the expectations of our customers as we try to
advance racial equality via a number of initiatives.
The Pearl Milling Company introduced Aunt Jemima in 1888 after creating a
pancake mix that it claimed to be the first "ready-mix" food item. The Aunt
Jemima brand's visual representation was based on the Southern "mammy"
stereotype. The corporation attempted to "update" and be "appropriate and
respectful" of the times due to its associations with the Jim Crow
era.
CNN reported in February 2021 that the name would be changed to Pearl
Milling Company and that the iconography, which had "long been criticized as
a racist caricature of a Black woman stemming from slavery," would be
dropped.
The action was not only applauded by some parties, but it also inspired
other businesses to take the same course. While Mrs. Butterworth's altered
the appearance of its packaging, Uncle Ben's, a rice product with similar
iconography on its packaging, announced that it too will undergo a
transition and change its name to Ben's Original.
Some have, however, criticized the modifications as being incompatible with
helping the Black community and just serving to erase a sad, but historical
past.
A day after Quaker Oats' announcement in 2020, Larnell Evans Sr., the
great-grandson of one of the ladies who had played Aunt Jemima, told Patch
that the redesign was an insult to the legacy of his ancestors and to the
Black community.
"This is unfair to my family and me. This dates back to my past. They use
images of slavery to illustrate how racism is something that white people,
not black people, do. This business makes money off depictions of our
servitude. They've decided to do this by erasing the past of my
great-grandmother. a female of color. He expressed his pain.
How many white folks grew up watching cartoons featuring Aunt Jemima at
breakfast every day? How many white firms made all their money and gave us
nothing in return? I believe they ought to examine it. They can't simply
eradicate it while we continue to endure suffering, he said.
After generating all that money, Evans contended, "are they just going to
rewrite history like it didn't happen? ... They won't offer us nothing, will
they? What grants them this authority?
A chef who was a product of slavery named Nancy Green played the role of
the original Aunt Jemima. Until 1923, when she passed away, she was still
its mascot. Evans' great-grandmother Anna Short Harrington and Lillian
Richard both assumed the role of Aunt Jemima.
The Richard family's opposition to the shift was also expressed by a
spokesperson, who told KLTV, "I hope we would take a breath and not simply
get rid of everything. because it is our past, good or terrible. Taking that
away takes a piece of me with it. a component of each of us.
Added the representative:
"(Lillian) was hailed as a hero... and we're pleased about that. We oppose
the erasure of that history.
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