The new name for Aunt A Jemima’s famous pancake and syrup blend line has been announced: Pearl Milling Company. Parent company Quaker Oats, owned by PepsiCo Inc., he said in June was going to distance the line from the old name, which critics said and the company acknowledged that it was based on a racial stereotype
The repackaged products will arrive on the shelves next June. PepsiCo also announced “a $ 1 million commitment to empower and elevate black women and girls.”
As part of the repackaging, the logo will be removed, with a black woman, and replaced by an image of the building that has been part of the brand’s 131-year-old history. According to the brand’s website, “Pearl Milling Company was a small mill in the bustling city of St. Joseph, Missouri. Using a pearl grinding technique, they produced flour, corn flour and, from 1889, the famous self-climbing pancake mix. this would be known as Aunt Jemima “.
For years, PepsiCo has been facing criticism over Aunt Jemima’s name.
In 1989, the brand updated Aunt Jemima’s character, removing the headscarf, something related to the stereotypes rooted in slavery, in favor of a straighter hairstyle. Then, in 2014, the descendants of a woman they allegedly portrayed “Aunt Jemima” in the 1930s sued Quaker Oats for $ 2 billion. “It developed a long time ago as a kind of stereotyped group distilled into a single person,” Adweek writer Sam Thielman told CBS This Morning.
The plaintiffs, whose case was eventually dismissed by a Chicago judge, alleged it was an image of their family member Anna Short Harrington that made the mark famous. They also alleged that Quaker Oats had stolen prescriptions and been unable to honor a contract or pay royalties.
Last June, when the assassination of George Floyd took place protests against racial injustice, PepsiCo was one of many brands and people who faced reactions about identities considered problematic. As Lady Antebellum and the Washington Redskins football team changed their names (to Lady A and the Washington football team, respectively), the food, snack, and beverage corporation also committed to -better.
“As we work to advance racial equality through various initiatives, we must also look closely at our brand portfolio and ensure that they reflect our values and meet the expectations of our consumers,” said Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and marketing director of Quaker Foods North America said in a press release at the time.
“We recognize that Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype. While we have worked over the years to update the brand in a way that is appropriate and respectful, we realize that these changes are not enough,” he said. continue Kroepfl. The brand also pledged $ 5 million to support the black community.