The same day Quaker Oats announced it would dissolve the Aunt Jemima brand, Uncle Ben announced it would “evolve” its visual brand in an effort to erase racial bias and racial stereotypes the products have represented for decades. Cream of Wheat and Mrs. Butterworth are also taking a closer look at their brands in light of those efforts.
In a statement Wednesday, the Mars-owned Uncle Ben brand announced the changes it would make to show its solidarity to consumers.
"As a global brand, we know we have a responsibility to take a stand in helping to put an end to racial bias and injustices," the Mars-owned brand said in a statement. "As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben's brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do."
The company did not specify when the changes will take place, but it would be “evaluating all possibilities.” The Uncle Ben brand has been around since 1943, becoming the top-selling rice brand in the 1950s and 1960s. Since 1946, Uncle Ben’s products have carried the image of an elderly black man dressed in a bow tie, which is reportedly based on a Chicago maître d’hôtel named Frank Brown.
“Racism has no place in society. We stand in solidarity with the Black community, our Associates and our partners in the fight for social justice,” according to the Mars statement.
The moves by Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima have preceded the decisions from B&G Foods, maker of Cream of Wheat, and Conagra Brands’ Mrs. Butterworth to announce they’d both be conducting an immediate review of their controversial visual brands.
"We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image, and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism," B&G Foods said in a news release. "B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind."
For more than 125 yeas, the Cream of Wheat’s farina product has featured a black chef on its package. Long before the efforts across the country to bring about racial equality in 2020, Cream of Wheat and the other brands had been under scrutiny. Many believe the Cream of Wheat logo is based off a generic character from the late 1880s who was a stereotypical happy black man who was illiterate. For years, many advocates have considered the connection to Rastus and Cream of Wheat offensive.
Even though there has been debate on the race of Mrs. Butterworth, the woman associated with the syrup brand has been likened to the “Mammy,” a racial caricature of a black woman, which mirrors the complaints about Aunt Jemima.
“The Mrs. Butterworth’s brand, including its syrup packaging, is intended to evoke the images of a loving grandmother,” Conagra Brands said in a statement Wednesday. “We stand in solidarity with our Black and Brown communities and we can see that our packaging may be interpreted in a way that is wholly inconsistent with our values.”
These brands have all taken measures lately to veer from their history of representing negative images of black people in the wake of calls for social justice after the death of George Floyd. Other companies have opted to give employees Juneteenth off to show solidarity with the black community, and some are considering their executive boards to ensure that black representation is prevalent and promoted.
The results of the reviews and proclamations of visual brand changes are underway for Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, Cream of Wheat and Mrs. Butterworth. Besides Aunt Jemima’s call to dissolve the brand image, it’s unclear what the changes will be for any of the other brands.
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