Quaker Oats will purge the charming old symbol of Aunt Jemima that they now say was once based on a racial stereotype. Aunt Jemima, who adorns pancake mix and syrup, is an attractive black woman appearing to be from an earlier time. The name Jemima was common years ago, white people took it too. Nonetheless, after Aunt Jemima trended on Twitter, as people mocked the brand, the company decided to remove Aunt Jemima.
It’s not even that she looks racially insensitive now, it’s that she once did, a long time ago, perhaps 130 years or so ago.
Quaker Oats announced Wednesday, saying the company recognizes that “Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype.”
The 130-year-old brand features a Black woman named Aunt Jemima, who was originally dressed as a minstrel character.
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The picture has changed over time, but Quaker said removing the image and name is part of an effort by the company “to make progress toward racial equality.”
“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. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations.”
Kroepfl said the company has worked to “update” the brand to be “appropriate and respectful” but it realized the changes were insufficient.
It looks like some shakedown artists got after them because they have now promised to pay $5 million over the next five years to “create meaningful, ongoing support and engagement in the Black community.”
Those will undoubtedly go to left-wing causes.
HERE’S A SAMPLE OF THE TWEETS THAT TRENDED TUESDAY
There’s no way y’all looked at a Aunt Jemima box and had no inklings of racism. There’s no way. https://t.co/krciGNlldz
— KAYA NOVA (@thekayanova) June 16, 2020
Yall really finding out about Aunt Jemima now pic.twitter.com/K2FckqVSwX
— BranFlakes? (@FuckBranFlakes) June 17, 2020
As if this guy knew it was based on black minstrel shows…
All y’all woke idiots can’t tell me you just realized Aunt Jemima is based on black minstrel shows. You’ve known that shit for decades, and you didn’t care, so stop pretending to care now.
— Just Some Guy (@justsomeguycc) June 17, 2020
Uncle Ben Rice watching Aunt Jemima Syrup get eviscerated on Twitter be like 👀 pic.twitter.com/xTP7A3P5Ch
— Alejandro Guerra (@Cinephile420) June 17, 2020
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