They painted themselves black and they portrayed that like us she. I understand the images that white america portrayed us years ago. Nbc news reports vera harris whose great aunt lillian richard traveled the country promoting the quaker oats brand and portraying the aunt jemima character for more than 20 years said changing the logo would effectively remove her family s legacy.
The logo has evolved over time with quaker dropping aunt jemima. The 130 year old breakfast brand s logo features a black woman named aunt jemima who was once dressed as a minstrel character. Ethel ernestine harper was the last real face of aunt jemima syrup before becoming a black history teacher and radio host in morristown new jersey.
Nancy green a civil war era slave from mount sterling was the inspiration for the first aunt jemima the black woman who has served as the face of the brand for more than 100 years. When the brand was established in the late 19th century her picture was meant to depict the mammy an old southern archetype that made black women look like they were content with being. The iconic face of this pancake and waffle mix was inspired by a popular minstrel show character named aunt jemima.
Quaker oats aunt jemima allie fenwick. Glenn introduces you to nancy green and explains why deleting her story means deleting the story a powerful black woman too. Aunt jemima was one of the first logos to take a hit but there s a real story behind the smiling face on those syrup bottles.
The famous aunt jemima recipe was not her recipe but she became the advertising world s first living trademark. The world knew her as aunt jemima but her given name was nancy green. She was a black storyteller and one of the first black corporate models in the united states.
On this date we celebrate the birth of nancy green in 1834. Pepsico s pancake brand aunt jemima will no longer use its picture of a black woman or the name aunt jemima its logo has changed six times and the brand s past is rooted in racial stereotypes. Although depictions vary over time they are similar to the common attire and physical features of mammy characters throughout history.
Her skin is dark and dewy with a pearly white smile.
Aunt jemima original logo black face. In 1890 a former slave named nancy green was hired to be the spokesperson for aunt jemima brand food products. Nancy green was born into slavery in 1834 in montgomery county kentucky. In 1889 the creators of aunt jemima charles rutt and charles underwood sold the company to r t davis who soon found nancy green in chicago. Aunt jemima is based on the common enslaved mammy archetype a plump black woman wearing a headscarf who is a devoted and submissive servant.
Aunt jemima is based on the common enslaved mammy archetype a plump black woman wearing a headscarf who is a devoted and submissive servant. In 1889 the creators of aunt jemima charles rutt and charles underwood sold the company to r t davis who soon found nancy green in chicago. Nancy green was born into slavery in 1834 in montgomery county kentucky.
In 1890 a former slave named nancy green was hired to be the spokesperson for aunt jemima brand food products.
