The monkey dressed in soldier clothes at the time few americans had any trouble with a mammy themed product named after a racist song and the marketing for aunt jemima products didn t change much for decades. They borrowed the name aunt jemima from an old minstrel show song that began with the black soldier stereotype. 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.
In 1989 quaker removed part of the outfit that was. The woman on the bottle known as aunt jemima is based on a minstrel character from 130 years ago. After many years of black people pointing out that the aunt jemima on the quaker owned pancake syrup is based on racist stereotypes the company is finally just now announcing that both the name and the image of said stereotype will be changed.
The troubling history of this fictional figure is well documented coming straight out of a minstrel show but the companies making it were happy to sit by for the past 130 years and do. Pepsico the parent company that makes and sells aunt jemima brand syrup and pancake batter decided to discontinue the aunt jemima product line because the name and imagery is based on racist stereotypes. The shows usually featured white actors in blackface but african american comedian billy kersands wrote and performed old aunt jemima.
In 1889 chris rutt started using the name aunt jemima to market his pancake flour after he heard the song old aunt jemima in a minstrel show. Syrup and pancake mix brand aunt jemima will change its name and. Et a bottle of aunt jemima syrup.
Et posted on june 17 2020 at 10 21 a m. By julia reinstein last updated on june 17 2020 at 1 11 p m. The syrup brand s namesake comes from a racist archetype that originated in minstrel shows.
That makeover happened back in 1989. On the original packaging the woman was darker skinned somewhat overweight and was wearing a headscarf. The woman on the pancake syrup bottle is not the same as the original from 1889.
Aunt jemima has gone through a makeover of sorts before.
Minstrel show original aunt jemima syrup bottle. Aunt jemima is a brand of pancake mix syrup and other breakfast foods. The aunt jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889 the first ready mix. By 1915 it had become one of the most recognized brands in us history and changed us trademark law. It is currently owned by the quaker oats company of chicago a subsidiary of pepsico.
In the fall of 1889 rutt was inspired to rename the mix after attending a minstrel show during which a popular song titled old aunt jemima was performed by men in blackface one of whom. Born of a racist minstrel show. The name aunt jemima comes from a 1875 minstrel show song called old aunt jemima minstrel shows of course often featured white performers in blackface as racist caricatures and as activist actor and writer sarah doneghy wrote in a 2018 story entitled aunt jemima.
The name aunt jemima comes from a 1875 minstrel show song called old aunt jemima minstrel shows of course often featured white performers in blackface as racist caricatures and as activist actor and writer sarah doneghy wrote in a 2018 story entitled aunt jemima. Born of a racist minstrel show. In the fall of 1889 rutt was inspired to rename the mix after attending a minstrel show during which a popular song titled old aunt jemima was performed by men in blackface one of whom.
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.
