Quaker Oats Cuts Ties with Aunt Jemima Brand
By: Bedaura Hassen
As people across the country continue to push for change and force people to revisit their understanding of race, Quaker Oats is the latest brand to step up.
This Wednesday, Quaker Oats announced that the “Aunt Jemima” breakfast brand will change its name and image due its racial origins. Quaker Oats says this change was made in efforts to “make progress toward racial equality”.
“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype. As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations.”
This move was long overdue. “Aunt Jemima” has long been a racial caricature. Aunt Jemima’s origin and logo come from the song “Old Aunt Jemima” which was reportedly sung by slaves. In 2015, Cornell University professor Riche Richardson criticized the brand, citing that the logo is “very much linked to Southern racism.” Richardson also added that the logo is based on the idea of a “mammy”, a devoted and submissive servant eager to nurture the children of their white master while neglecting their own.
The brand has received harsh criticism on social media after the death of George Floyd. People on social media are continuing to dissect the image and it’s racial origins and implications. KIRBY, a singer, discussed the history of the brand in a viral TikTok video titled "How To Make A Non Racist Breakfast." KIRBY told NBC News that she felt "a sense of relief knowing that my future children will not grow up in a world where their ancestors' oppression is insensitively used as a marketing tool on a box."
Hours after Quaker Oat’s announced the change, Mar’s Inc, the company that owns “Uncle Ben’s”, also shared that “now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s Brand”. The company did not lay out what this evolution will look like, but they say they are evaluating all possibilities. As of today, no new logo or name has been revealed for the breakfast items. The company announced that they will donate at least $5 million dollars over the next 5 years to "create meaningful, ongoing support and engagement in the Black community." The company also set initiatives of $400 million dollars in effort to support the Black community.
