Aunt Jemima brand to receive new name, logo amid anti-racism protests

PepsiCo Inc will change the name and brand image of its Aunt Jemima pancake mix and syrup, it said on Wednesday, dropping a mascot criticized for a racist history.

The logo of the more than 130-year-old brand features an African American woman named after a character from 19th century minstrel shows. The offensive caricature is rooted in a stereotype of a friendly Black woman working as a servant or a nanny for a white family.

The brand has faced social media backlash and calls for a boycott in recent days, amid widespread protests over racism in the United States after the death of George Floyd, a Black man, in police custody in Minneapolis.

“We recognize Aunt Jemima‘s origins are based on a racial stereotype,” said Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer, Quaker Foods North America, in a statement.

REUTERS