The Deep-Rooted Racism in Brands
Our society is demanding change and brands that have been around for a long time—and were created in times with deep-rooted racism—are feeling the effects of the cultural shift.
Brands like Aunt Jemima (owned by PepsiCo), Uncle Ben’s (owned by Mars Foods) and Mrs. Butterworth’s (owned by ConAgra Foods) have announced plans to review and make changes to eliminate any racial stereotypes. Over the years, some brands have tried to evolve their mascots to downplay or remove elements of their origins, but they couldn’t shed the racism at their core.
Like all brands, at some point evolution is necessary. It will be interesting to see how these specific brands adapt to the world around them.
- SOURCE: Various
- BRAND: Aunt Jemima / Uncle Ben’s / Mrs. Butterworth’s
- WHY YOU’LL LOVE IT: Seeing positive change in our world is a great feeling—and small things like recognition by companies that they need to be better is step in the right direction.
