The family of a woman who once portrayed Aunt Jemima for the pancake mix and syrup brand has advised Quaker Oats, the owners of the products, against scrapping the Aunt Jemima brand.
The family of Lillian Richards, who in 1925 became the brand ambassador for Aunt Jemima, believe that letting go of the brand would only wipe away the memories Richards helped create.
Why the Aunt Jemima image is racist
In the wake of Quaker’s announcement, some, especially on social media, have wondered why the image has to go in lieu of what they believe is an opportunity to empower the Black woman.
Tyson tweeted on Wednesday: “It’s not that Aunt Jemima was a symbol of a racist past, she was the very embodiment of a racist past.
The concept of Aunt Jemima was based on what a Black woman meant to a well-to-do white family in the antebellum United States and even afterward.
