The logo created in 1890 was based on a former slave nancy green described on. The brand s origin was inspired by the minstrel song old aunt jemima which was said to have been sung by slaves. Aunt jemima was first brought to life by nancy green a.
The pancake mix debuted in 1889 and the inspiration for the logo featuring a black woman came from the minstrel song old aunt jemima. Aunt jemima the breakfast food company is a brand which has long received criticism due to its logo that features a smiling black woman featured on its products. Alamy stock photo bottles of aunt jemima syrup line a shelf at a supermarket in lynn massachusetts june 2020.
Butterworth s maple syrup on shelves at a grocery store. 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. 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. Bottles of aunt jemima syrup.
The aunt jemima logo changed six times before it was retired in 2020. The statement comes in the wake of pepsico pulling the logo and brand of its aunt jemima pancake mixes and syrup which portrays a stereotype of a black woman working as a servant or nanny to a. After 131 years the aunt jemima name and image will be scrubbed from syrup bottles pancake mix boxes and all other packaging because they are based on a racial stereotype quaker oats revealed.
In her 2015 new york times piece richardson explained that the brand s name and the original logo were inspired by a minstrel song old aunt jemima minstrel shows which were popular throughout.
