After years of criticism that the Aunt Jemima label is a caricature of Black women and promoted racist stereotypes, namely the "mammy" character, Pepsi Co. Nancy Green portrayed the Aunt Jemima character at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and was one of the first Black corporate models in the United States. Daina Ramey Berry, a professor of history at the University of Texas, said the decision to drop the name and the image of Aunt Jemima is significant because the brand normalized a racist depiction of Black women. After Chris Rutt, a newspaperman, and Charles Underwood came up with the idea for a ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour, Rutt attended a vaudeville show in 1889 where he heard "Aunt Jemima" sung by a blackface performer who was wearing an apron and bandanna headband, according to African American Registry (AAREG).

Aunt Jemima is based on the common enslaved "Mammy" archetype, a plump black woman wearing a headscarf who is a devoted and submissive servant. The company, which owns the Quaker Oats Company behind the controversial brand, announced on Tuesday that the popular pancake mix and syrups will now be under the name, "Pearl Milling Company.An advertising firm added the necessary backstory, including Green’s supposed “loyal service” to a Louisiana slaveholder whom she protected from raiding Union soldiers.

Jemima was said to use a secret recipe "from the South before the Civil War," with their "matchless plantation flavor," to make the best pancakes in Dixie. Quaker, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, said removing the image and name is part of an effort by the company "to make progress toward racial equality. Nancy didn’t come up with the Aunt Jemima recipe, but she became the first living trademark in the advertising world, per the AAREG.

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.

Her booth became so popular that special police officers were assigned to it to keep the crowds moving, the AAREG says. In a statement to ABC News, PepsiCo said, "This is a sensitive matter that must be handled thoughtfully and with care. In the past few years she finally identified the exact location in Chicago's Oak Woods cemetery where Green was buried. In a statement to NBC News, KIRBY said 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.

Soon after Quaker Oats said it would rebrand Aunt Jemima in June, other companies pledged to reexamine or scrap questionable branding and packaging, including Eskimo Pie, Mrs.

Keep in mind that anyone can view public collections - they may also appear in recommendations and other places.Rag doll versions were offered as a premium in 1909: "Aunt Jemima Pancake Flour/Pica ninny Doll/ The Davis Milling Company. Aunt Jemima was among the first brands to announce its rebranding efforts after protests over systemic racism and the murder of George Floyd gripped the nation last summer. Should you not find what you're looking for, please do not hesitate to reach out as we have new products launching every month. She incorporated them into collages and assemblages, transforming them into statements of political and social protest. Robinson reportedly worked for the company until her death in 1951, [1] [2] although the work was sporadic and for mere weeks in a year.