When Quaker Oats announced that its “Aunt Jemima” brand would be discontinued in light of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, it created quite a stir. However, a great-grandson of “Aunt Jemima” objected to the choice just one day after it was made public, stating that the family thought it would only serve to erase black history and suffering.
For my family and I, this is an injustice. Larnell Evans Sr. stated, “This is a part of my history. as reported by Patch, a Marine Corps veteran said. After years of profiting from slavery, he then charged that the company was now attempting to eradicate it. “The racism they criticize comes from the other side—white people—as evidenced by their use of images from slavery. This business makes money off depictions of our slavery. They’ve decided to do this by erasing the history of my great-grandmother.
a woman of color.
It is painful.”.
Nancy Green, a black woman who was once an enslaved, is depicted on the logo of the product, which Quaker Oats confirmed would be permanently discontinued. According to reports, Quaker referred to Green as a “storyteller, cook, and missionary worker” but omitted the fact that she was born into slavery. The “Aunt Jemima” brand name was first employed when Green was hired to serve pancakes at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Anna Short Harrington, who Larnell Evans Sr. had been dating, passed away in 1923. stepped into the role in 1935 after a Quaker Oats representative noticed her serving pancakes at the New York State Fair and decided to make her “Aunt Jemima.” She later claimed to be his great-grandmother.
She spent 20 years working for that Quaker Oats, according to Evans. She traveled all the way around the United States and Canada making pancakes as Aunt Jemima for them. “This woman served all of those people, and it was after slavery. She was employed as Aunt Jemima. Her responsibility was to do that.
Now that Quaker Oats is aiming to retire the brand, Evans is unhappy that the coparation has been able to profit off of a racial stereotype before simply moving on when it became convenient. “How many white people were raised looking at characters like Aunt Jemima at breakfast every morning? How many white corporations made all the profits, and didn’t give us a dime?” said Evans. “They’re just going to erase history like it didn’t happen? … They’re not going to give us nothing? What gives them the right?” Well, this certainly seems to have sparked plenty of debate. Where do you stand on the matter? Let us know your thoughts in the comments box.
Meanwhile, share this article on Facebook if you support the Black Lives Matter movement and all it stands for. … How do you think I feel as a black man sitting here telling you about my family history they’re trying to erase?”.
