Quaker oats announced wednesday that it will retire the aunt jemima brand saying the company recognizes the character s origins are based on a racial. America s painful struggles over racism have finally caught up with aunt jemima that ubiquitous fixture served up at breakfast tables for 131 years. Quaker oat is retiring the aunt jemima brand to make progress toward racial equality aunt jemima is based on a real woman nancy green who was a storyteller cook and missionary worker.
The aunt jemima image has evolved over the years to meet socially acceptable standards of the times but the brand could not shake its history of racial stereotypes and connections to slavery. The origin of the company s imagery and branding is steeped. The aunt jemima brand was created in 1889 by chris rutt and charles underwood two white men to market their ready made pancake flour.
Case in point a magazine ad from 1938 that depicted the white jones family lamenting the sorry state of mom s pancakes. The aunt jemima brand has long reflected the values of a less woke time. Quaker oats is retiring the more than 130 year old aunt jemima brand and logo acknowledging its origins are based on a racial stereotype.
It is currently owned by the quaker oats company of chicago a subsidiary of pepsico. By 1915 it had become one of the most recognized brands in us history and changed us trademark law. The aunt jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889 the first ready mix.
Aunt jemima is a brand of pancake mix syrup and other breakfast foods.
