We recognize aunt jemima s origins are based on a racial stereotype kristin kroepfl vice president and chief marketing officer of quaker foods north america said in a press release. After ignoring the racist stereotype for over 130 years quaker oats a subsidiary of pepsico has announced that aunt jemima will no longer be the face of its pancake and syrup brand. Quaker oats spoke up first announcing in june that aunt jemima the name and face of the brand s syrup and pancake mix for more than 130 years would be no more.
Davis milling company which first manufactured aunt jemima pancake mix until 1926 hired green as a spokesperson. The official website states that the logo was created around 1890 and was based on nancy green a former slave who had spent her life as a storyteller cook and missionary worker in 1890 the r. Her role was essentially to impersonate a mammy and impersonate a.
To promote the product the company hired nancy green a black woman born into slavery in 1834 to portray aunt jemima. The women who portrayed aunt jemima were part of a tradition that dated to 1893 when a former slave named nancy green greeted visitors to the world s fair in chicago. Several women would then take on the role of aunt jemima over the years.
Davis then located the 56 year old nancy green a former slave to serve as the brand s living trademark. Aunt jemima s logo has changed 6 times and its history is rooted in racial stereotypes and slavery check out how the brand started and evolved over 130 years jessica snouwaert 2020 06 17t21. See more ideas about aunt jemima vintage advertisements aunt.
Aug 5 2014 explore the african american heritage s board aunt jemima throughout history followed by 268 people on pinterest. 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. Just as the formula for the mix has changed several times over the years so has the aunt jemima image. Jaffee a freelance artist from the bronx new york also designed one of the images of aunt jemima used by quaker oats to market the product into the mid 20th century.
The aunt jemima package was redesigned around the new likeness.
