Quaker Oats: Aunt Jemima Image Will Be Removed And Brand Will Be Renamed Over ‘Racial Stereotype’

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Quaker Oats announced Wednesday that the Aunt Jemima brand of syrup and pancake mix will get a new name and logo.

Quaker Oats says they are making the packaging changes “to make progress toward racial equality.”

The brand was founded in 1889 and the logo was built on images of a black female character that have often been seen as a symbol of slavery, according to an article by the New York Times.

The company has redesigned the logo several times, including adding pearl earrings and a lace collar in 1989.

The changes will not appear on shelves at grocery stores until the end of the year, according to a NBC report.

“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. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations.”

Mass demonstrations against police brutality and racial prejudice have raged for weeks across the country in response to the deaths of George Floyd and other black Americans. Activists and consumers are demanding that companies take a stand against racial injustice or stand to lose their business. White Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has been charged with murder in Floyd’s death.

This year, Land O’Lakes announced that it would no longer use the Native American woman who had graced its packages of butter, cheese and other products since the late 1920s.