The 131 year old syrup and pancake mix brand Aunt Jemima is going to be discontinued and come with a brand new makeover and name announced Quaker as they stated they understand that it originates from Racial Stereotypes.
On Wednesday the company Quaker announced that they are going to discontinue the brand and get it back with a new name and face as they stated they recognize the fact that “Aunt Jemimas origins is based on a racial stereotype.” Quaker is a subsidiary brand of the huge company PepsiCo.
Aunt Jemima is a 131 year old brand which features a black woman named Aunt Jemima who is supposed to be a minstrel character. The image of Aunt Jemima has been changed over time and in the recent years, Quaker removed the mammy kerchief from the image of the character to narrow the criticism they were receiving that the brand is promoting slavery.
Quaker Foods North America also said that they are working towards the progress of racial equality through various initiative and in a statement give in a press release the Vice President and Chief marketing officer stated that “we are taking a hard look at the portfolio of our brands and ensure that they reflect our values and meet our customers’ expectations.” They also went on to add that this is the first step they are taking towards racial equality and will continue to do so in the future, because they want everyone to be proud of their brand and have in in the pantry of their homes without any disrespect.
They also went on to add that they are taking a step in racial equality by removing the image and changing the name and that they are keen on continuing this by gathering diverse information from the black community on how to evolve the brand and be proud of it.
These statements are coming after the world wide protests on Black Lives Matter caused by the death of George Floyd by police brutality in Minneapolis. During these protests Aunt Jemima also garnered a huge amount of criticism for racial stereotyping.
By Deepika Agarwal
