When Quaker Oats recently announced their decision to discontinue the “Aunt Jemima” brand in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, it sparked a heated debate. However, one voice that spoke out against this choice was Larnell Evans Sr., the great-grandson of “Aunt Jemima” herself. He expressed his concerns, stating that erasing the brand would also erase the history and suffering of black people.

Evans, a Marine Corps veteran, believes that it is unfair to his family and black history to remove Aunt Jemima from the public eye. He argues that the racism associated with the brand originates from white people, and by discontinuing it, the company is essentially disregarding the history of his great-grandmother, a black woman.

Nancy Green, the woman behind the Aunt Jemima emblem, was born into slavery. However, Quaker Oats chose to portray her as a “storyteller, cook, and missionary worker.” The brand’s name was first used in 1893 when Green was contracted to serve pancakes at the Chicago World’s Fair. After Green’s passing in 1923, Anna Short Harrington took up the role of Aunt Jemima in 1935. According to Evans, Harrington was his great-grandmother.

Evans emphasizes that Harrington dedicated 20 years of her life to working for Quaker Oats, traveling throughout the United States and Canada as Aunt Jemima. He questions how he, as a black man, feels sharing his family’s history, which is now being erased by the same company that profited from racial stereotypes.

He also raises the issue of how many white people grew up seeing characters like Aunt Jemima on their breakfast tables, with corporations making significant profits without giving back to the black community. Evans reflects on the injustice of erasing history without offering any compensation or acknowledgment.

The controversy surrounding the discontinuation of the Aunt Jemima brand has sparked widespread discussion. Now, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter. Please share your opinions in the comment section below.

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