In 2020, Quaker Oats rebranded its Aunt Jemima products, known for pancake mixes and syrup, to address racial stereotypes, sparking controversy among descendants of the real woman behind the brand. Quaker Oats acknowledged that Aunt Jemima’s imagery was rooted in racial stereotypes, prompting the decision to change the name and branding. The company emphasized aligning its brands with modern values.

Aunt Jemima, first launched in 1888 by Pearl Milling Company, was based on the “mammy” stereotype linked to the Jim Crow era. The brand was renamed Pearl Milling Company in 2021, and its imagery, long criticized as a racist caricature, was discontinued. This move led other companies, like Uncle Ben’s and Mrs. Butterworth’s, to rebrand as well.

However, some criticized the rebranding, calling it an erasure of Black history. Larnell Evans Sr., the great-grandson of one of the women who portrayed Aunt Jemima, expressed frustration, claiming the rebrand erased his family’s legacy and did nothing to address the historical exploitation of Black labor. Similarly, a representative of the Richard family, who had ties to another Aunt Jemima portrayer, argued that the history should be preserved, not erased.

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