The Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix will get a new name and image, 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.
But Quaker, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, 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.
People on social media called out the brand for continuing to use the image and discussed its racist history, with the topic trending on Twitter.
Berry also said it would be misguided to lament the change by Quaker as a loss of representation for Black women.
The criticism of Aunt Jemima's image, she says, "is about the representation — the stereotypical and traumatic and abusive ways in which we are represented. »