Other than a brief flirtation with Mrs. Butterworth (an image that might also be changed since some see it as a mammy character rather than a generic grandmother), I’ve always used Log Cabin syrup because that’s what I grew up with. In fact, when I was little, Log Cabin came in a rectangular metal container shaped and painted like a log cabin. I wasn’t happy when the company discontinued that.
So now we hear in the news that it’s time to say goodbye to Aunt Jemima and to Uncle Ben as well. I don’t think I’ve tried either brand. (Always used Minute Rice and Mahatma.)
Since the Aunt Jemima logo no longer has a headscarf, it doesn’t seem as stereotypic as it once did. So, unless one studies such things, most people buying the syrup probably have no idea the character originated in a minstrel show as the stereotype of the “mammy character.” See with Wikipedia page here.
Protests against the Aunt Jemima character (used by Quaker Oats for 130 years) have been around for a while according to the CNN story. Apparently, Mars, Inc. will be making changes to its Uncle Ben’s line of rice products. B&G Foods may change the black chef image on its cream of wheat.
This old issue may well be more sensitive now due to the unrest across the country; yet, it’s a long past time for Quaker Oats, Mars, and others to finally address it.
–Malcolm
