Aunt Jemima Rebrands As ‘Pearl Milling Company’

Shutterstock/Grossinger

February 12, 2021, 7:11 am

The iconic Aunt Jemima pancake and syrup brand is finally getting its relaunch to remove the racist stereotyping that the brand has been known for all these years.

Advertisement
Hide

The new packaging is set to hit shelves in June of this year, and will see both the name Aunt Jemima and the racist caricature replaced with “Pearl Milling Company” and a sketch of a building.

Advertisement
Hide

When it was first announced that the company would be rebranding, it sparked controversy—some blamed “cancel culture” for the change and lamented the “loss” of the brand, while others praised parent company PepsiCo for making the change. Still others believed it was too little, too late.

Those feelings haven’t changed now that the relaunch is properly on the horizon, although now people are also taking issue with the new name and design as well.

somebody said Pearl Milling just sounds like the plantation Aunt Jemima worked at anyway and I haven’t stopped screaming

— Whoremione Granger (@BuzzFeedObi) February 10, 2021

that’s what I said …. look like some nasty ass dollar tree syrup

— (@moauthenticc) February 10, 2021

Advertisement
Hide

Advertisement
Hide

And a lot of folks are pouring one out for the old packaging.

Aunt Jemima was a welcome guest in my home for most of my life. I know it’s just a product and the name shouldn’t matter, but this feels like a big loss. I always equated the brand with comfort, sense of home, nostalgia, friendliness. It was nice to see her smile in the morning.

— @rdbarletta (@rdbarletta) February 10, 2021

Back on Twitter to mourn the loss of an icon, a legend, a fucking powerhouse.

RIP Aunt Jemima, the most beautiful woman i’ve ever laid eyes on.

Gotta pour one out for the homie pic.twitter.com/UmMhzPbsUq

— JacDeeMac (@JacDeeMac) February 10, 2021

Advertisement
Hide

Advertisement
Hide

Obviously, some people are very intense about their syrup branding, but others are glad to see Aunt Jemima go.

Damn I thought aunt jemima just made some good as pancakes. childhood ruined.

— wooah (@darkkiddy) February 11, 2021

Ikr? “Aunt Jemima’s cooking” was a stereotype about black cuisine basically saying that “it’s like your black aunts cooking” which is kinda fvcked if you ask me.

— BLM | destroy fox news (@spencerm251) February 10, 2021

Advertisement
Hide

Now if we can all just remember to grab “Pearl Milling Company” syrup at the store.

Share this article

*First Published: February 12, 2021, 7:11 am