Angry Great-Grandson: “Aunt Jemima’s Legacy Erasure is Unjust
Posted October 1, 2023 by: Admin
When Quaker Oats announced the discontinuation of their “Aunt Jemima” brand in 2020, citing the Black Lives Matter movement as the reason, it sparked significant debate.
However, just one day after this decision became public, a great-grandson of “Aunt Jemima” raised objections, asserting that the move would inadvertently erase the history and suffering of the Black community.
“This is an injustice to my family,” stated Marine Corps veteran Larnell Evans Sr. “This is a part of my history. After profiting from slavery for many years, the business is now accused of trying to erase it.”
“The racism they talk about, using images from slavery, that comes from the other side — white people. This company profits from images of our slavery. And their solution is to erase my great-grandmother’s history. A black woman… It hurts.”
Quaker Oats has announced the permanent withdrawal of the brand, whose emblem features a black woman named Nancy Green, once enslaved. However, sources indicate that Quaker Oats only referred to her as a “storyteller, cook, and missionary worker.”
The “Aunt Jemima” brand name was first used when Green was contracted to serve pancakes at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. A Quaker Oats representative saw Anna Short Harrington serving pancakes at the New York State Fair and decided to adopt the name “Aunt Jemima” after her passing in 1923. Larnell Evans Sr. claims that Anna Short Harrington was his great-grandmother, who took on the role in 1935.
Evans remarked, “She worked for Quaker Oats for 20 years. She traveled all across the United States and Canada, making pancakes as Aunt Jemima for them.”
“This woman served all those people, and it was after slavery. She worked as Aunt Jemima. That was her job… How do you think I feel as a black man sitting here telling you about my family history that they’re trying to erase?”
Evans is distressed that the partnership was able to profit from a racial stereotype before swiftly moving on when it became expedient, particularly because Quaker Oats intends to remove the name.
“How many white people were raised looking at characters like Aunt Jemima at breakfast every morning? How many white corporations made all the profits and didn’t give us a dime?” Evans questioned.
“Are they just going to erase history like it never happened?… Are they not going to acknowledge us at all? What gives them the right?”
It appears that this has generated substantial discussion. What is your stance on this matter? Please share your opinions in the comments section.
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