After 130 years, the companies originally responsible for Aunt Jemima have decided to proceed with the rollout of their brand’s new name and logo.
What We Know:
- PepsiCo. (parent company to Quaker Oats) made an announcement on Tuesday that they were, “starting a new day with Pearl Milling Company”. Pearl Milling Company will be replacing the original Aunt Jemima name along with a brand new logo. The new name pays homage to the original company that created self-rising pancake batter in 1888, St. Joseph Missouri. Quaker Oats acquired the brand in 1925.
- Consumers can expect the change immediately as PepsiCo. recently filed the trademark for the new Pearl Milling Company logo on Feb. 1st. Products will still carry the Aunt Jemima name until June of this year but the logo for it, modeled after Nancy Green, will be removed as soon as possible.
- Nancy Green was a real woman who was born into slavery. Her image was criticized for decades because of its stereotypical connotations. The Aunt Jemima character was based on the 1800s “mammy”, a black servant in a white household.
- Uncle Ben’s rice, Cream of Wheat, and Mrs. Buttersworth are also facing incoming redesigns as well. The companies of these brands had always faced criticism over the use of stereotypical imagery for their products. According to an article by NPR, companies finally submitted to public pressure to change after protests against systemic racism and police brutality in the U.S last summer.
- An article by TMZ says the decision to rebrand was made “in the wake of George Floyd’s death, and a national outcry for racial equality”. The Pearl Milling Company goes even further by announcing a $1 million dollar commitment to empower and uplift Black girls and women. They encourage the community to visit its website and nominate non-profit organizations for an opportunity to receive grants.
It seems as if PepsiCo. has finally begun its journey in redeeming the images of some of its most criticized products. The Pearl Milling Company embraces the history of the product while omitting its roots in slave labor.
