A swift re-brand in the works for a well-known breakfast icon.
Quaker Oats announced on Thursday that they will be retooling their Aunt Jemima syrup brand.
Parent company PepsiCo said it’s something they’re doing across all of their brands in light of recent social movements.
The company says they want to ensure their brands align with the current social climate, admitting that Aunt Jemima – founded in 1889 – was “based on a racial stereotype.”
Throughout the years, the company has updated the look of Aunt Jemima but they ultimately decided as long as she was the face of the product there would be some racist undertones.
Products branded as Aunt Jemima including syrups, pancake mixes, and others will begin to be phased out immediately.
The company intends to continue making the same products but they will be marketed under a new brand and name.
Aunt Jemima was inspired by the song “Old Aunt Jemima” by Rich Richardson which has been criticized for looking at aspects of slavery with a lens of nostalgia that is inappropriate.
