Descendant of ‘Aunt Jemima’ Expresses Frustration over Quaker Oats’ Choice to Alter Logo and Name..

Larnell Evans Sr. Brand Transition remains concerned that his great-grandmother’s story and legacy will be overshadowed.

Before its sudden demise in the summer of 2020, the Aunt Jemima brand had become a mainstay in everyone’s daily breakfast routine for more than 130 years. As a result of this change of name and logo, the company started a new chapter of Pearl Milling company.—

The shift was prompted by growing discontent following the killing of 46-year-old African-American George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota on May 25, 2020. His departure drew widespread media attention and was presented by the Black Lives Matter movement as a prime example of police brutality.

“Aunt Jemima”
Black woman erased by Wokeness the @DNC in June 2021 pic.twitter.com/LrVtcjox3S

— NUSfeed (@Nusfeed_News) April 9, 2023

The Aunt Jemima brand said in a statement at the time that it aimed to “move towards racial equality” with the name change and new logo. Their choice prompted a number of similar decisions by other companies with names or logos based on racial stereotypes, such as Mrs. Buttersworth.—

Related: Teacher Uses Brief But Powerful Explanation of Racism for Kindergarten Students

The business was criticized for the name change in June 2020 by the great-grandson of one of Aunt Jemima’s old characters, who called it “an injustice to me and my family”. He expressed his displeasure with companies like Aunt Jemima cashing in on images of slavery without giving anything back to the black community.

Online critics slam Aunt Jemima’s new name Pearl Milling Company https://t.co/mxfA75TlRH pic.twitter.com/vlI9xMLdD4

— New York Post (@nypost) February 10, 2021

“It’s unfair to me and my family,” you say. My history includes that, sir,” Larnell Evans Sr. told Patch. They claim that white people are the source of the racism they’re discussing when they invoke images of slavery. This business makes money off of images of our slavery.

And their response is to erase the history of my great-grandmother, a black woman. He expressed his pain. It was after slavery and this woman served all those individuals. She worked as Aunt Jemima. She had to do it. How do you think I feel sitting here telling you about my family’s history that they are trying to erase as a black man?

His great-grandmother was African-American Anna Short Harrington, who was born and raised on a plantation before being bought into slavery by a white family in 1927. Before Harrington was asked to serve as Quaker Oats’ new Aunt Jemima, he was a chef at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house in Syracuse.

Harrington was not the first Aunt Jemima, although her great-grandson claimed that Quaker Oats used her recipe.

Do you know Nancy Green…Aunt Jemima? She knew the Aunt Jemima was stereotypical and insulting but understood the power of the money she earned and used it to help others. pic.twitter.com/qeASeqE0Tu

— Maurice W (@iamMauriceW) March 14, 2023

The character of “Aunt Jemima” was created by the Pearl Milling Company in 1893, and Nancy Green, an enslaved woman, was cast in the role. She debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and continued in that role until her death in 1983.

Aunt Jemima Company changed its name to Pearl Milling Company in February 2021. “A new day has begun with Pearl Milling Company. A fresh day steeped in the brand’s storied past and its commitment to fostering meaningful conversations over breakfast, PepsiCo noted at the time.

Aunt Jemima brand gets a new name: Pearl Milling Company https://t.co/H9oQq9yPN8 pic.twitter.com/gcNNlQf4vg

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) February 10, 2021

The new brand was introduced in June 2021, a few months after the transition was announced, and has kept the name ever since. While the product packaging still uses the same red, white, and yellow color scheme, the logo now depicts a 19th-century watermill rather than an image of Aunt Jemima.—

As for Larnell Evans Sr., he hopes his great-grandmother Anna Short Harrington’s story and legacy will not be forgotten, as he believes that is happening with the new name and design. Anna Short Harrington was the third person to play Aunt Jemima. Quaker Oats shouldn’t get away with it, he said.

She spent 20 years working at Quaker Oats. She made pancakes for people all over the United States and Canada while posing as Aunt Jemima.

After Quaker Oaks was founded at the New York State Fair in 1935, Harrington played the role of “Aunt Jemima” from 1935 to 1954. Harrington, who traveled the country promoting the brand, was the long-term success the brand sought. for Nancy Green.

The transformation of the Aunt Jemima brand into the Pearl Milling Company represents a response to societal calls for racial justice and recognition of the need to eliminate racially offensive images and stereotypes. This change reflects a wider movement across various industries to rethink branding and marketing practices and ensure they align with contemporary values ​​of inclusivity, equality, and respect for different cultures and backgrounds.