Quaker Oats’ choice to stop making “Aunt Jemima” cereal in 2020 caused a lot of controversy, especially among the people who are related to the woman who inspired the famous picture. A great-grandson of “Aunt Jemima,” Larnell Evans Sr., was strongly against the move, saying it would erase black past and suffering [1].
Evans, a member of the Marine Corps, spoke out about his anger and pain by saying, “This is unfair to me and my family.” This is a part of my past. He said that Quaker Oats was making money off of images of slavery while trying to get rid of its heritage.
The “Aunt Jemima” brand was built around Nancy Green, who used to be a slave and now tells stories, cooks, and works the mission field. The first time her picture was used was when she served pancakes at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. Later, Evans’ great-grandmother Anna Short Harrington took over the job in 1935 and traveled a lot to push the brand.
The Black Lives Matter movement, which made Quaker Oats make their choice, wants to bring attention to systemic racism and fight for racial equality ². But Evans’ worries bring up important questions about what happens when we erase complicated past. Is getting rid of the “Aunt Jemima” brand really a step toward freedom, or does it just keep black experiences from being talked about?
As the debate goes on, it’s important to keep the details of this problem in mind. Evans gives “Aunt Jemima’s” legacy a human face by telling the story of his family. This makes us think again about how history, identity, and business responsibility all connect. In the end, this talk makes us think about how important it is to keep complicated histories alive and how important it is to include everyone in representation.
