Honoring Aunt Jemima, A Great Grandson’s Plea to Preserve Her Legacy

Just one day after the announcement to retire the “Aunt Jemima” brand, Larnell Evans Sr., the great-grandson of a woman who portrayed Aunt Jemima, voiced his strong objection, claiming that this move would erase an important part of Black history.

“This is an injustice for my family and me. This is part of my history,” said Evans, a Marine Corps veteran, according to Patch. He further accused the company of trying to erase the legacy of slavery after benefiting from it for years.

“They talk about racism, using images from slavery, but that was created by white people. This company profited from the image of our slavery, and now they want to erase my great-grandmother’s history—a Black woman. It’s painful.”

Quaker Oats confirmed that the brand, which featured the image of Nancy Green, a formerly enslaved woman, would be permanently retired. Although Green was described by Quaker as a “storyteller, cook, and missionary,” they left out that she was born into slavery.

Green was originally hired to serve pancakes at Chicago’s World Fair in 1893, marking the first use of the “Aunt Jemima” name. After her passing in 1923, Anna Short Harrington—Evans’ great-grandmother—became the face of Aunt Jemima in 1935, after a Quaker Oats representative saw her serving pancakes at the New York State Fair.

Evans shared his family’s connection to the brand: “She worked for Quaker Oats for 20 years. She traveled across the U.S. and Canada making pancakes as Aunt Jemima. After slavery, this was her job. How do you think I feel as a Black man, sharing my family history that they’re trying to erase?”

With Quaker Oats retiring the brand, Evans expressed frustration that the company had profited from a racial stereotype for decades and now wanted to move on without acknowledging the impact on his family.

“How many white people grew up seeing Aunt Jemima on their breakfast table every morning? How many white-owned corporations made millions from this image and gave us nothing?” Evans asked.

“Are they just going to erase history like it didn’t happen? Not even an apology? What gives them the right?”

After Larnell Evans Sr.’s public protest, the decision to retire the “Aunt Jemima” brand continued to fuel debates across the country about racial stereotypes, the erasure of Black history, and corporate responsibility. Quaker Oats, despite the pushback from Evans and others, moved forward with their plan, officially retiring the Aunt Jemima brand in 2021. The brand was replaced with the name Pearl Milling Company, named after the mill that created the original pancake mix in 1888.

The rebranding sparked a broader conversation on the legacy of racial stereotypes in advertising and how companies handle these historical figures. While some people supported the decision as a necessary step toward progress, others, like Evans, felt that it was a superficial move that ignored the deeper historical and personal connections many had to the brand.

There was no known financial compensation or direct acknowledgment of Evans’ family from Quaker Oats, despite his calls for recognition of his great-grandmother’s contributions. The controversy highlighted the complexities of corporate rebranding efforts, especially when intertwined with painful aspects of history.

In the wake of this, many other companies began evaluating their branding and marketing materials, leading to further changes in products with imagery or names rooted in racist history. However, the debate over how to address these legacies and what meaningful change looks like continues to be a point of contention for many.

The decision has sparked debate. What’s your perspective on the matter? Share your thoughts in the comments.