Yesterday, Quaker Oats finally retired Aunt Jemima, their brand mascot, based on a racist stereotype, that the company has unsuccessfully attempted to “modernize” for many years. Not surprisingly, their decision sparked other food companies to get with the program: Uncle Ben, Mrs. Butterworth, and the Black chef on Cream of Wheat packages are likely next to go. From the New York Times:
Mars Food, the owner of the brand Uncle Ben’s rice, which features an older black man smiling on the box, said on Wednesday afternoon that it would “evolve” the brand as protests over racism and police brutality across the country continue.
“We recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do,” said Caroline Sherman, a spokeswoman for Mars. The company does not know the nature of the changes, or the timing, she said, “but we are evaluating all possibilities.”
Shortly after that announcement, ConAgra Brands, the maker of Mrs. Butterworth’s pancake syrup, released a statement saying the company had begun a “complete brand and package review.”[…]And later on Wednesday, B&G Foods Inc., the parent company of Cream of Wheat, announced that it too was conducting a review of its packaging.
The porridge box, which depicts a beaming black man in a white chef’s uniform, has not been altered much since its debut in the late 19th century. The character was named “Rastus,” a pejorative term for black men, and he was once depicted as a barely literate cook who did not know what vitamins were.
