Quaker Oats caused a stir in 2020 by announcing the retirement of the “Aunt Jemima” brand due to the Black Lives Matter movement. Larnell Evans Sr., a great-grandson of “Aunt Jemima,” expressed his family’s disappointment, seeing it as erasing black history and suffering. He criticized the company for profiting from slavery imagery and then attempting to erase his great-grandmother’s legacy.
Quaker Oats confirmed the brand’s retirement, featuring Nancy Green, a formerly enslaved black woman, as its logo. Evans pointed out that Green had served as Aunt Jemima for 20 years after slavery ended, and the company profited from her image. He questioned why white corporations benefited from such stereotypes without giving anything back.
Evans believed that erasing this history was unjust and asked, “What gives them the right?” The move to retire the brand sparked debate, and opinions on it vary. Share your thoughts in the comments or support the Black Lives Matter movement by sharing this article on Facebook.