Cultural psychology theory and research emphasize the need of looking at racism not just in the mind but also in the environment. Personal discrimination is frequently defined as racism, but racial prejudice is also systemic, manifesting in the advantages and drawbacks of cultural objects, philosophical discourse, and organizational realities that interact with independent judgments. Aunt Jemima’s smiling image on syrup containers, pancake mix, and breakfast cereal boxes all over America has sparked debate for years because of its racist history. The logo has undergone minor graphic adjustments over time. However, the brand’s name, which dates back to 1889, has remained the same for over a century.
The action to rebrand the pancake mix and syrup company arrived as widespread anti-racism protests erupted across the country, prompting adjustments in the corporate community and the removal of Confederate leader monuments. Quaker Oats, a PepsiCo subsidiary, stated that its Aunt Jemima trademark of syrup and pancake mix would be phased out, citing that Aunt Jemima’s foundation is rooted in racial prejudice (Hsu, 2020). Chris L. Rutt, a Missouri newspaper editor, named his brand of self-rising flour after “Aunt Jemima,” a song performed by minstrel actors in the late 1800s. A formerly enslaved person, Nancy Green, was later hired to play Aunt Jemima as a “mammy,” a racist portrayal depicting enslaved women as smiling, cheerful housewives for white households.
Nancy Green, a genuine Kentucky lady, born into slavery in 1834 who was the model for the original Aunt Jemima on the box, had her looks distorted for branding purposes before being converted into a historical toy for white toddlers. Green’s astonishingly earnest public persona at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair addressed any postbellum fury toward African Americans (Hsu, 2020). She did this by telling stories and making up the first Aunt Jemima pancake mix — a little wheat, a little corn, and many nostalgic memories about something that barely existed.
Aunt Jemima’s figure invites white people to indulge in a dream of enslaved people — and, by implication, all of African American Communities — as subservient, self-effacing, obedient, soothed, and appeasing. It portrays African Americans as boxed in, packed, and ready to consume; it is a problem that plagues all consumers, but with racial connotations. Most people grieving the loss of “Auntie” now would not have discovered her as cut-out dolls from a box of pancake mix, as previous generations did.
Aunt Jemima has been urged to change its logo on numerous occasions. Riché Richardson, a Cornell University professor, wrote in a 2015 opinion piece for The New York Times that the emblem is connected to Southern racism. The Aunt Jemima logo, according to Richardson, is inspired by a mammy, a committed and submissive labourer who zealously nurtured the youngsters of her enslaver while overlooking her own (Hsu, 2020). However, the US Senate approved a monument of a slave mammy stereotypical image in 1923, and it was never constructed.
In addition, it is also uncertain whether the African Americans who played Aunt Jemima over the years were adequately compensated for their efforts. In 2014, the successors of Anna S. Harrington and Nancy Green, two women who the Aunt Jemima brand’s entrepreneurs chose to establish the persona, filed a lawsuit for damages and unpaid royalties (Nguyen, 2020). They declared that the females agreed to give their physical resemblance to the brand and even assisted in developing the pancake mix formula.
The company also aired racist commercials featuring actresses portraying the mammy stereotype for decades. The company often received calls from concerned citizens to change its brand name and logo, claiming it was the epitome of female embarrassment. Fortunately, it changed the logo over time, and in the 1990s, it even booked musician Gladys Knight as a spokesperson (Valinsky, 2020). Aunt Jemima is now a brand representing warmth, nourishment, and trust — characteristics you will identify in nurturing mothers from all walks of life who want the best for their households. Over the next five years, Quaker Oats plans to donate at least five million dollars to develop substantive, continuous support and involvement in the African American community.
American companies like Quaker Oats, which are caught in a tumultuous cultural moment, acknowledge the need to interrogate their brands’ backgrounds and develop them to meet society’s needs. A representative for Uncle Ben’s rice brand, Mars Inc., said the firm would consider changing Uncle Ben’s symbolic corporate image within hours of Quaker Oats’ announcement and accepted its corporate obligation to end systemic racism and inequity (Valinsky, 2020). Cream of Wheat cereal, which has been around since 1893, has a smiling dark-skinned chef as its logo. Critics claim that these male figures are based on the post-reconstruction Uncle Tom stereotype, in which African Americans are illustrated as subservient, obedient, and seek legality from white people.
In conclusion, this is a societal commitment as much as a commercial one. Despite Aunt Jemima’s long-standing popularity, Quaker Oats has admitted that the name reflects obsolete and discriminatory perceptions against black women. Fighting racism and discrimination should be a commitment every community strives to achieve, as this will result in an environment where people respect and trust each other.
References
Hsu, T. (2020). Aunt Jemima Brand to change name and image over racial stereotype. The New York Times. Web.
Nguyen, T. (2020). Aunt Jemima and the long-overdue rebrand of racist stereotypes. Vox. Web.
Valinsky, J. (2020). The Aunt Jemima brand, acknowledging its racist past, will be retired. CNN Business. Web.