The new name for the famous Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup line was announced: Pearl Milling Company. The parent company Quaker Oats, which is owned by PepsiCo Inc., said in june was going to distance the line from the old name, which critics said and the company admitted it was based on a racial stereotype
The repackaged products will arrive in stores next June. PepsiCo also announced “a $ 1 million commitment to empower and elevate black girls and women”.
As part of the repackaging, the logo – with a black woman – will be removed and replaced with an image of the building that is part of the brand’s 131-year history. According to the brand’s website, “Pearl Milling Company was a small factory in the bustling city of St. Joseph, Missouri. Using a pearl grinding technique, they produced flour, cornmeal and, from 1889, the famous blend for yeast pancakes that would come to be known as Aunt Jemima. “
PepsiCo has faced criticism about the name Tia Jemima for years.
In 1989, the brand updated the character Tia Jemima, removing the head scarf – something linked to stereotypes rooted in slavery – in favor of a straighter hairstyle. Then, in 2014, the descendants of a woman they claim to have portrayed as “Aunt Jemima” in the 1930s sued Quaker Oats for $ 2 billion. “It was developed a long time ago as a kind of group of stereotypes distilled into a single person,” Adweek writer Sam Thielman told CBS This Morning.
The plaintiffs, whose case was eventually dismissed by a Chicago judge, claimed that a photo of their relative Anna Short Harrington made the brand famous. They also claimed that Quaker Oats stole revenue and failed to honor a contract or pay royalties.
Last June, when the assassination of George Floyd gave rise to protests against racial injustice, PepsiCo was one of many brands and people who faced adverse reactions because of identities considered problematic. As Lady Antebellum and the Washington Redskins football team changed their names – to Lady A and Washington Football Team, respectively – the food, snack and beverage company also promised to do better.
“As we work to make progress towards racial equality through various initiatives, we must also take a good look at our brand portfolio and ensure that they reflect our values and meet the expectations of our consumers,” Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and director of marketing for 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. Although work has been done over the years to update the brand in an appropriate and respectful way, we realize that these changes are not enough,” continued Kroepfl. The brand also pledged $ 5 million to support the black community.