Aunt Jemima and Race in Branding
Summary from the AllSides News Team
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From the Left
Aunt Jemima Is Gone. Can We Finally End All Racist Branding?
Three years ago, the Supreme Court handed an Asian rock band named the Slants an unimaginable win when it proclaimed, in Matal v. Tam, that it was unconstitutional for the law to ban trademarks that were “disparaging.” In celebrating the band’s victory, the lead singer Simon Tam declared the case “a win for all marginalized groups,” asserting: “It can’t be a win for free speech if some people benefit and others don’t.”
Despite his optimism for free speech, Mr. Tam could not have been more wrong about the meaning of...
From the Left
Does it really matter if Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben get retired?
The big broom of history has been clearing out the rubble this month, furiously sweeping away at some of the most enduring racist symbols still in American stores and restaurants.
►The Aunt Jemima pancake mix brand got brushed into the dustbin after 131 years when its owner, Quaker Oats, acknowledged it was based on a racial stereotype.
►Sambo’s restaurant in Santa Barbara, California, the last store in a chain that started in 1957, dropped its name after being pressured to account for the racist history behind it.
►Uncle Ben’s...
From the Right
Family of woman who portrayed Aunt Jemima opposes move to rebrand
The family of a Texas woman who once portrayed Aunt Jemima has called on the breakfast brand to reconsider its decision to scrap the ubiquitous portrait from its products.
Vera Harris said the family takes pride in Quaker Oats scouting her second cousin Lillian Richard to become a brand representative in 1925, news station KLTV reported.
“She was considered a hero in [her hometown of] Hawkins, and we are proud of that. We do not want that history erased,” Harris said.
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