As many people continue to strive for change within this country, it looks like one of the oldest breakfast brands will be getting a new look and new name. According to NBC News, on Wednesday, Quaker Oats announced that the “Aunt Jemima” breakfast brand will have its name and image changed due to its origins being based on a racial stereotype.
The brand, which has been around for about 130 years features a black woman named Aunt Jemima, who was originally dressed as a minstrel character. Over the years, the image on the products has changed as they removed the “mammy” kerchief from the character after they were accused of perpetuating a racist stereotype.
Kristin Kroepfl, the vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, said, “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.”
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Kroepfl also acknowledged that throughout the years they have updated the brand to be “appropriate and respectful,” however they realized that the changes that were made were not enough.
The news of the name and image change behind this breakfast brand comes after many people throughout the world have spent weeks protesting following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Protests have been taking place as people urged for justice to be served in his case, and also the cases of other black people that have died at the hands of police and racists.
With the change coming to the brand, many people are asking for “Uncle Ben’s” and “Cream of Wheat” to be the next brands to make a change to their imagery as well.
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TSR STAFF: Jade Ashley @Jade_Ashley94
