Aunt Jemima's logo has changed 6 times, and its history is rooted in racial stereotypes and slavery — check out how the brand started and evolved over 130 years

Jessica SnouwaertJun 18, 2020, 03:57 IST

Bottles of Aunt Jemima branded syrup stand on a store shelf inside of a shop in Brooklyn, June 17, 2020.REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

PepsiCo's pancake brand, Aunt Jemima, will no longer continue using the picture of a Black woman or the name "Aunt Jemima."
Its logo has changed six times, and the brand's past is rooted in racial stereotypes and slavery.
Read on to see the history of the Aunt Jemima brand.

Aunt Jemima is changing its name and logo after 130 years of using a Black woman as the staple feature of the brand's marketing.

The brand's parent company PepsiCo acknowledged the brand was ingrained with racist symbolism despite past attempts to update the imagery. The company anticipates new packaging will appear on the shelves later this year and a new name will follow.

"We recognize Aunt Jemima's origins are based on a racial stereotype," Kristin Kroepfl, Quaker Foods North America's chief marketing officer, said in a statement. "While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough."

Read on to see the history of Aunt Jemima and the changes that happened leading up to this week's announcement.

The Aunt Jemima brand was created in 1889 by Chris L. Rutt and Charles G. Underwood, two white men, to market their ready-made pancake flour. The origin of the company's imagery and branding is steeped in racist stereotypes symbolizing submissiveness and asexuality, Riché Richardson wrote in The New York Times.

Wiki Commons

To read more about Aunt Jemima visit The New York Times.

The Aunt Jemima brand was created in 1889 by Chris L. Rutt and Charles G. Underwood, two white men, to market their ready-made pancake flour. The origin of the company's imagery and branding is steeped in racist stereotypes symbolizing submissiveness and asexuality, Riché Richardson wrote in The New York Times.

To read more about Aunt Jemima visit The New York Times.

Chris Rutt, one of the company's cofounders, took the idea for the name and logo after watching a vaudeville show where the performer sang a song called "Aunt Jemima" in an apron, head bandana, and blackface, according to the African American Registry.

Wiki Commons

To read more about this history visit the African American Registry.

Chris Rutt, one of the company's cofounders, took the idea for the name and logo after watching a vaudeville show where the performer sang a song called "Aunt Jemima" in an apron, head bandana, and blackface, according to the African American Registry.

To read more about this history visit the African American Registry.

The origin of the Aunt Jemima brand is rooted in the old southern plantation stereotypes of the "mammy" — a figure portrayed as a devoted servant, according to The New York Times.

Wiki Commons

To read more about Aunt Jemima visit The New York Times.

The origin of the Aunt Jemima brand is rooted in the old southern plantation stereotypes of the "mammy" — a figure portrayed as a devoted servant, according to The New York Times.

To read more about Aunt Jemima visit The New York Times.

The two founders of Aunt Jemima, in need of money, sold the company to the R.T. Davis Milling Company in 1890. From there, the company tried to find someone to be a living trademark for the company, according to the African American Registry.

Wiki Commons

To read more about this history visit the African American Registry.

The two founders of Aunt Jemima, in need of money, sold the company to the R.T. Davis Milling Company in 1890. From there, the company tried to find someone to be a living trademark for the company, according to the African American Registry.

To read more about this history visit the African American Registry.

Nancy Green became the face of the product as the company's first Black corporate model in the United States in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Green was born a slave in Kentucky, according to the African American Registry. She was a storyteller, cook, and missionary.

Getty Images

To read more about Nancy Green visit the African American Registry.

Nancy Green became the face of the product as the company's first Black corporate model in the United States in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Green was born a slave in Kentucky, according to the African American Registry. She was a storyteller, cook, and missionary.

To read more about Nancy Green visit the African American Registry.

Quaker Oats Company bought the company in 1925. They later trademarked the logo, making it one of the longest-running logos and trademarks in the history of American advertising, according to Riché Richardson in The New York Times.

A 1940's print ad for Aunt Jemima branded products. Reuters

To read more about Aunt Jemima visit The New York Times.

Quaker Oats Company bought the company in 1925. They later trademarked the logo, making it one of the longest-running logos and trademarks in the history of American advertising, according to Riché Richardson in The New York Times.

To read more about Aunt Jemima visit The New York Times.

Different women took on the role of representing the character of Aunt Jemima over the course of the brand's history, including Aylene Lewis, Anna Robinson, and Lou Blanchard, according to the brand's website.

FEB 7 1951 Aunt Jemima (Lou Blanchard of Chicago) is greeted at the Post Tuesday by Jack Michel of The Post advertising department. Aunt Jemima, representing the famous pancake mix manufactured by Quaker Oats, was in Denver in observance of National Pancake day. She was driven through downtown Denver and taken on a personal appearance tour in a Capital Chevrolet car. Credit: Denver Post (Denver Post via Getty Images)

To see a timeline of the history, visit the brand's website.

Different women took on the role of representing the character of Aunt Jemima over the course of the brand's history, including Aylene Lewis, Anna Robinson, and Lou Blanchard, according to the brand's website.

The most updated version of the brand image included adding pearl earrings and a white collar to the Aunt Jemima character, according to Chicago Tribune. The Aunt Jemima logo changed six times before it was retired in 2020.

Bottles of Aunt Jemima branded syrup stand on a store shelf inside of a shop in Brooklyn, June 17, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

To read more about the changes in the Aunt Jemima imagery visit the Chicago Tribune.

The most updated version of the brand image included adding pearl earrings and a white collar to the Aunt Jemima character, according to Chicago Tribune. The Aunt Jemima logo changed six times before it was retired in 2020.

To read more about the changes in the Aunt Jemima imagery visit the Chicago Tribune.

I ate a sit-down meal at a restaurant for the first time since the pandemic began, and my buttery mussels came with a side of doom and gloom

Cookies on the Business Insider India website

Aunt Jemima's logo has changed 6 times, and its history is rooted in racial stereotypes and slavery — check out how the brand started and evolved over 130 years

Chris Rutt, one of the company's cofounders, took the idea for the name and logo after watching a vaudeville show where the performer sang a song called "Aunt Jemima" in an apron, head bandana, and blackface, according to the African American Registry.

The origin of the Aunt Jemima brand is rooted in the old southern plantation stereotypes of the "mammy" — a figure portrayed as a devoted servant, according to The New York Times.

The two founders of Aunt Jemima, in need of money, sold the company to the R.T. Davis Milling Company in 1890. From there, the company tried to find someone to be a living trademark for the company, according to the African American Registry.

Nancy Green became the face of the product as the company's first Black corporate model in the United States in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Green was born a slave in Kentucky, according to the African American Registry. She was a storyteller, cook, and missionary.

Quaker Oats Company bought the company in 1925. They later trademarked the logo, making it one of the longest-running logos and trademarks in the history of American advertising, according to Riché Richardson in The New York Times.

Different women took on the role of representing the character of Aunt Jemima over the course of the brand's history, including Aylene Lewis, Anna Robinson, and Lou Blanchard, according to the brand's website.

The most updated version of the brand image included adding pearl earrings and a white collar to the Aunt Jemima character, according to Chicago Tribune. The Aunt Jemima logo changed six times before it was retired in 2020.