PepsiCo to remove Aunt Jemima image from packaging, rebrand
The Quaker Oats Co., a subsidiary of PepsiCo, today announced it will remove the image of Aunt Jemima from its pancake mixes and syrup packaging and change the name of the 130-year-old brand, noting “Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype.”
Packaging changes without the Aunt Jemima image will begin to appear throughout Q4 2020. The name change will be announced at a later date and will quickly follow the first phase of packaging changes, the company announced in a statement.
The announcement comes as the United States is experiencing an awakening of cultural and racial injustice stemming from the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others killed by authorities who abused their power.
“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,” said Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer, Quaker Foods North America. “We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype. While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough.”
Kroepfl said the company “will continue the conversation by gathering diverse perspectives from our organization and the Black community to further evolve the brand and make it one everyone can be proud to have in their pantry.” The Aunt Jemima brand will donate a minimum of $5 million over the next five years to create meaningful, ongoing support and engagement in the Black community, she added.
Diversity and inclusion
On June 16, PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta announced the next step in PepsiCo's journey for racial equality: a more than $400 million set of initiatives over five years to lift up Black communities and increase Black representation at PepsiCo. These initiatives comprise a holistic effort for PepsiCo to walk the talk of a leading corporation and help address the need for systemic change. The activities focus on three pillars