Aunt Jemima syrup may taste the same, but the product will have a new name and look moving forward.
Quaker Oats, the owner of the syrup, announced on Wednesday that it will rebrand the 130-year-old syrup with a new name and logo, ditching its longtime imagery of a black woman named Aunt Jemima who was once dressed as a minstrel character.
“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype,” the company said in a statement, which was first obtained by NBC News. “As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations.”
According to the brand’s website, Aunt Jemima was created and developed in the likeness of Nancy Green, who is described as a storyteller, cook, and missionary worker, in the late 1880s and 1890s. However, the website does not mention that Green was also born into slavery.
PepsiCo, the owner of Quaker Oats, said the syrup’s new packaging will be seen starting in the fourth quarter of 2020. The new name for the syrup will also be announced at a later date.
