“Though new to store shelves, Pearl Milling Company was founded in 1888 in St. Joseph, Missouri, and was the originator of the iconic self-rising pancake mix that would later become known as Aunt Jemima,” the company said.
Quaker Oats added the new name was workshopped with “consumers, employees, external cultural and subject-matter experts, and diverse agency partners,” and “developed with inclusivity in mind.” It also plans to make a $1 million “commitment to empower and uplift Black girls and women.”
While the change is sure to be hailed by many, relatives of former Aunt Jemima spokeswomen said last year they were concerned their family history would be erased as Quaker Oats moved to rebrand the syrup and pancake mix.
AP Photo/Donald King
My colleague wrote a great piece earlier on Aunt Jemima changing its name to something that was just a horrible new name that sounded like a gravel mining company, Pearl Milling, but that also hearkens back to some of the racist history of the company.
But there’s another thing that some are afraid of. A lot of people don’t know that the brand was based upon the faces and/efforts of real women. Among those women were Nancy Green, Anna Harrington and Lillian Richard. Their family members were concerned that the removal of the picture and changing the name further erase the real contributions of their family members who helped to make the brand.
Quaker Oats announced they’d change the brand name back in June, saying the product is based on a “racial stereotype.”
“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype,” Kristin Kroepfl, a spokesperson for Quaker, said in a press release. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we must also take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations.”
The character was inspired by the 19th century “mammy” minstrel character which was a black woman who was happy to serve her white masters. Nancy Green, a former slave, was the first face of the product back in 1893, according to NPR.
Aunt Jemima is just one of the iconic brand names to fall in recent months as a spotlight was placed on corporate brands and team names that were based on.
Aunt Jemima is just one of the iconic brand names to fall in recent months as a spotlight was placed on corporate brands and team names that were based on.