Uncle Ben’s Follows Aunt Jemima In Major Move To Phase Out Racial Stereotypes In Logos
Just hours after Quaker Oats said it was retiring its Aunt Jemima brand and logo because it’s “based on a racial stereotype,” Uncle Ben’s owner Mars is now also planning to change the rice maker’s “brand identity.”
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According to the Uncle Ben’s website, the name was first used in back 1946 in reference to a black farmer known as Uncle Ben who excelled in rice-growing. The man depicted in the logo is a “beloved Chicago chef and waiter named Frank Brown.” However, the image shown on the products evokes a servant and uses a title that reflects how white Southerners “once used ‘uncle’ and ‘aunt’ as honorifics for older blacks because they refused to say ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.,'” according to a 2007 New York Times article.
In a statement on its official website Wednesday, Mars wrote that “now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do.” “We don’t yet know what the exact changes and timing will be, but we are evaluating all possibilities,” Mars added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Quaker Oats was the first to announce it’s retiring the 130-year-old Aunt Jemima brand and logo.
“As we work to make progress toward racial equality through several initiatives, we also must take a hard look at our portfolio of brands and ensure they reflect our values and meet our consumers’ expectations,” the Pepsi-owned company said in a statement.
The big changes are also in consideration following nationwide outrage and protest against police brutality and racial injustice amid the death of George Floyd.
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