Aunt Jemima pancake brand slammed for its racist past, Internet wants to boycott Pepsi and Quaker Oats
Aunt Jemima, the pancake mix and syrup brand, has been a favorite among its consumers for decades. But it may not be the same going forward as the brand is being called out for its racist past. It all started with a Tik-Tok video showing a black girl talking briefly about Aunt Jemima’s history and throwing the contents of the pack, calling it an act of protest in solidarity with Black Lives Matter movement.
Aunt Jemima is a breakfast brand owned by Quaker Oats, which is a subsidiary of PepsiCo. The brand has been in existence since 1889, but it received a trademark only in 1893. The cover of the pancakes features the black fictional character, Aunt Jemima, a mammy who worked for the White family. She was named after the character from contemporary minstrel shows from the 19th century. And the name of Aunt Jemima itself was inspired by the song ‘Old Aunt Jemima’, sung by slaves and performed by men wearing black faces back in the day.
Although Aunt Jemima is one of the most popular food brands, it is well-remembered for its racist past. However, following the Tik Tok video that calls out the brand, Internet users have taken to Twitter to react to the new trend which has garnered strong reactions.
“Y’all didn’t know the story of Aunt Jemima? Just looking at a box of Aunt Jemima pancake mix you can sense the racial undertones.” wrote one. Meanwhile, another user shared, “How the f**k did a lot of y'all go through life not knowing the origins or at least the image of Aunt Jemima was born from slavery. It's right there on the f**king label! Even when they tried to "modern" up her look, they still keep her original look.”
As many are seen discussing the boycotting of Aunt Jemima, a few social media users have noted that its parent brands with racist history and references also deserve a similar fate. “If you're going to boycott Aunt Jemima, avoid everything under the @Quaker brand and @pepsi family, including their stock $PEP . It would have been very easy for PepsiCo to do right by Ms. Green and they chose otherwise. #BankruptBigotry”
“Quaker Oats @Quakerand @Pepsi (another ridiculous name based on a group of protected individuals) it is time to stop the production lines on this unnecessary name/label. Get with it!! #BlackLivesMattter,” added another.
Bringing attention to another fictional black character, Uncle Ben, who is featured on the cover of rice and food products of the same name, one Twitter user wrote, “Aunt Jemima in 1889. I’m shocked the current generation didn’t know Aunt Jemima & Uncle Ben where slaves. What else could they be? "Uncle" was a common appellation used in the Southern United States to refer to older male black slaves or servants.”