Behind the Aunt Jemima rebrand is a story of Antebellum romanticization — and concerns about erasure – By Ashlie D. Stevens (Salon) / Feb 14 2021
“Today it’s an innocuous figure, which is why I think we’re seeing the blowback and the questioning of her removal”
What is Aunt Jemima’s maple syrup?
After the Quaker Oats Company purchased the Aunt Jemima Mills Company in 1926 — which was then known for its ready-made “self-rising pancake flour” — it eventually introduced Aunt Jemima syrup 40 years later. It’s one of the most recognizable brands of “fake syrup,” which is made from corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup that is dyed and processed to mimic the appearance and flavor of pure maple syrup, which is made from maple tree sap.
As The Washington Post reported in 2015, most Americans overwhelmingly prefer the taste of artificial syrup. Seventy percent of the 1,000 consumers surveyed by the publication indicated that they would rather reach for a brand like Aunt Jemima or Mrs. Butterworth’s than pure maple syrup. A large part of that preference can be attributed to price; you can purchase a gallon of Aunt Jemima for $16.80 on Amazon, whereas a gallon of Grade-A maple syrup starts at $59.99.
Out with Aunt Jemima, in with the Pearl Milling Company
Amid nationwide Black Lives Matters protests, Quaker Oats announced plans in June 2020 to remove the image of Aunt Jemima from its packaging and changing the name of the brand. This week, the company announced that it had decided on a new name: The Pearl Milling Company.”
