![]() ![]() “Aunt Jemima was also part of the ‘blackface’ tradition that, in the decades after the Civil War, harkened back to a simpler time of plantations and ‘happy slaves’.” “The Aunt Jemima caricature was a product of the white imagination and the minstrel shows of 19th-Century America,” said Gregory Smithers, a history professor at Virginia Commonwealth University. One of the most well-known Mammy figures is Aunt Jemima, a fictional character that the brand is based on. She ‘belonged’ to the white family, though it was rarely stated.” Although she had children, sometimes many, she was completely desexualized. ![]() She had great love for her white ‘family,’ but often treated her own family with disdain. “The caricature portrayed an obese, coarse, maternal figure. “Dating back to slavery through the Jim Crow era, white Southerners, in an effort to justify having slaves, designed propaganda which displayed black women in particular as happy and filled with laughter ‘as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery.’ ”ĭating back to slavery through the Jim Crow era, white Southerners, in an effort to justify having slaves, designed propaganda which displayed black women in particular as happy and filled with laughter “as evidence of the supposed humanity of the institution of slavery,” Pilgrim stated in an online blog post. The museum features Pilgrim’s own collection of over 2,000 racist artifacts including white-only signs, commemorative postcards of lynchings and an entire section dedicated to Mammy caricatures. PepsiCo’s elimination of the Aunt Jemima character is long overdue, said David Pilgrim, the director of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. “As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our associates worldwide, we recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do,” Caroline Sherman, a Mars spokeswoman said. Hours later, Mars Inc., the parent company of Uncle Ben’s rice, said it will be “evolving the visual brand identity.” We will continue the conversation by gathering diverse perspectives from both our organization and the Black community to further evolve the brand and make it one everyone can be proud to have in their pantry.” We are starting by removing the image and changing the name. Kroepfl added, “We acknowledge the brand has not progressed enough to appropriately reflect the confidence, warmth and dignity that we would like it to stand for today. “While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough.” “We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype,” said Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer for the company. Quaker Foods North America stopped short of using the word racist in its official statement. “B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind.” “We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism,” it said in a statement. “We stand in solidarity with our Black and Brown communities and we can see that our packaging may be interpreted in a way that is wholly inconsistent with our values.”Īnnounced “an immediate review of the Cream of Wheat brand packaging.” Butterworth’s brand, including its syrup packaging, is intended to evoke the images of a loving grandmother,” it stated. Butterworth’s,” according to a statement made by its parent company, Conagra Brands. Butterworth’sĪnnounced it has “begun a complete brand and packaging review on Mrs. For me, I see the vestiges of enslavement and segregation.’ ” - David Pilgrim, the director of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia Despite this, many Americans nostalgically associate her with fond familial memories. “‘Aunt Jemima, like other Mammy representations, portrays African-American women as one-dimensional servants. ![]()
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