In 2014 a family claiming to be the descendants of anna short harrington a woman who portrayed aunt jemima in the 1930s sued quaker oats for 2 billion. Quaker oats announced wednesday that it would be updating the name and design of its 130 year old aunt jemima brand in recognition of the fact that its origins are based on a racial stereotype. It would seem that quaker oats recent decision to retire aunt jemima and end its 130 year history of questionable brand imagery rooted in racial stereotypes falls into that latter category.
Quaker oats used harrington s likeness on products and advertising and it sent her around the country to serve flapjacks dressed as aunt jemima the gig made her a national celebrity in 2014 evans filed a lawsuit against quaker oats for 3 billion considering they were not receiving any royalties. As quaker oats retires the aunt jemima name. The fight to commemorate nancy green the woman who played the original aunt jemima sherry williams has spent 15 years researching green s legacy.
Associated press by richard j. Quaker oats decision to retire aunt jemima both the character and the brand from its pancake mix and syrup lines is astonishing and poignant. The 130 year old aunt jemima brand of pancake mix waffles and breakfast syrup will be no more the quaker oats company announced on june 17.
Quaker foods announced the decision on wednesday amid. The aunt jemima pancake and syrup brand is changing its name and logo after 131 years due to the character s racist origins the company said. Also named in her statement to channel 45 was longtime quaker product spokesperson william henderson whose familiar likeness appears most famously on boxes of oats and various other.
In an exclusive interview with channel 45 news aunt jemima brown is now alleging that decades ago she was sexually harassed by uncle ben harris. When quaker oats announced last month that its iconic aunt jemima syrup and other food products would be rebranded it had some unexpected positive consequences for a suburban business owner.
