Under criticism from the cancellation culture, Quaker Foods recently announced a redesign of the Aunt Jemima brand. This has yet to go over well with Larnell Evans Sr., the true Aunt Jemima’s great-grandson.
He is enraged that the firm has obliterated his great-grandmother’s legacy and the rich tradition that it represents.
Larnell conveyed his disgust and fury to Patch. He noted that this was about more than just his family but also his past, including Aunt Jemima.
He also pointed out that the apparent prejudice was on the other side, given that white people had been using images of enslavement on items for years.
Larnell’s main point was that Quaker Foods profited off images of slavery and now tried to remove the history of his great-grandmother, a black lady.
This situation profoundly hurts him as a family member and an American who values his ancestry. He refuses to have his family’s history and legacy obliterated in the name of cancel culture, which is increasingly targeting everything considered objectionable.
A formerly enslaved person, Nancy Green became the first woman to play the popular Aunt Jemima character at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
Green, who is from the city’s South Side, was employed to serve pancakes to fairgoers while wearing an apron and a headscarf. She remained Aunt Jemima until she died in 1923.
Anna Short Harrington, the granddaughter of the man who invented the pancake mix, carried on Aunt Jemima’s heritage. Harrington worked as a chef at Syracuse University and became well-known in the area for her delectable pancakes.
A Quaker Foods employee discovered her at the 1935 New York State Fair, where Harrington distributed her homemade pancake samples.
Because of her skills and resemblance to the Aunt Jemima brand, Quaker Foods hired Harrington and used her in advertising and on pancake mix boxes.
Harrington toured the United States as Aunt Jemima, offering pancakes while dressed in full costume. Aunt Jemima gained a household name as a result of her efforts.
For two decades, a woman known as Aunt Jemima worked for the Quaker Oats company, providing pancakes to people all over the United States and Canada.
Despite working after slavery was canceled, she was continuously associated with the notion of the “happy slave” and the disparaging imagery that accompanied it.
Larnell Evans, a black man descended from the mother, is now speaking out about his family’s heritage, which he believes is being obliterated by removing her image from packaging.
Evans, a disabled U.S. Marine veteran, emphasizes that Quaker Foods exploited the pancake recipe of the actress who played Aunt Jemima and that her heirs have attempted to sue the firm for failing to pay them royalties.
The action, which sought $3 billion in damages in 2014, was ultimately unsuccessful. Evans also claims that more than eliminating the photos and material linked to Aunt Jemima’s character is required.
Instead, he believes that Quaker Foods must recognize the historical context of their usage of these images, the fact that they profited off the likenesses of Green and Harrington, and the more extensive history of slavery that they evoke.
Such recognition, he contends, is a critical step toward tackling America’s enduring legacy of slavery and racism.
A man recently asked how many white people grew up eating breakfast with Aunt Jemima as their cartoon companion. He also questioned white corporations’ profits from this commodity, which has traditionally promoted racial prejudices.
The man advocated for a thorough investigation into the situation rather than simply removing Aunt Jemima from the shelves. While the company could make enormous profits for decades, he claimed that black people were left with nothing but the long-term impacts of institutional racism.
He then questioned the authority that permits such companies to benefit from the exploitation of black culture and experiences while providing nothing in return.
He voiced dissatisfaction with the lack of reparations provided to the black community, particularly in light of recent calls for them.
In response to these concerns, Quaker Foods has said that all Aunt Jemima branding and artwork will be removed from their products by the end of this year.
This decision follows years of criticism and debate over the emblem and its racist overtones.
