The Aunt Jemima brand and logo will be retired

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OddBird said:
Please, read @catholiclala’s post 86 upthread:
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I read it once and I think that’s enough, I would think it is against forum rules to come close to accusing others of racism and a smear on others if they don’t see things your way. Your quote is not the whole thing:
This thread, I can’t even. Anytime anything is done to lessen historic pain and some people, who should be totally not be bothered have to raise a stink. So much lack of empathy and charity towards issues in which you have no idea how affected others are. Maybe some of you don’t get why some words and images cause a bad reaction in others and you don’t have to but just because it doesn’t bother you doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be addressed. Nobody here is going to be hurt if they don’t see Aunt Jemima or the words Master & Slave, so why so pressed to oppose changing these things**? I’m really disappointed overall in how many Catholics on this site deal with racial issues. Not a good sign for the Church. I stick around so people like me have a voice.
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I find this rather offensive. I am not going to go through the whole thing discussed already in this thread again,

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At the same time, this “virtual signaling” goes on. Now, I won’t call anyone left or right wing, liberal or conservative, but as long as I don’t know who votes for liberal politicians whose abortion policies and planned parenthood clinics in minority areas is decimating the black community, where 12% of the population gets a 3rd of all abortions, where half of African American babies are aborted and one party supports abortion law, I am going to see some issues as being more pressing.

I suggest please, you read the above.
 
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I just thought it was a nice lady who gave me pancakes…
Quaker oats needs to change their name then, it’s offensive to Quakers, maybe.
 
On a related note, the late actor Ricardo Montalban was instrumental in the Frito Bandito being done away with.
 
Victoria33 said:
At the same time, this “virtual signaling” goes on
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Aunt Jemima wasn’t just Nancy Green. After her death they used other black women. Nobody is erasing Nancy Green, we’re erasing a racist caricature of her that harmed many black women. She got rich off the caricature. Nobody would find it racist if they changed her name to Nancy Green, I would think.

I don’t see how that’s relevant. Of course her job was comfy enough compared to other black women. It doesn’t take away from the fact that the branding was racist. That it wasn’t Nancy Green, it was Aunt J that was plastered everywhere. Her descendants filed a suit against the company for exploiting her, although it was thrown out. The pics you posted says that she was proud of her work, but i wonder what she has said about the caricatures of her during her lifetime.

It’s also interesting how you are offended by the earlier post (and you accused people of virtue signaling) when you admitted you didn’t know anything of it despite posting your comments about it. You had your opinion. You finally researched for something that backed it up, even though it wasn’t that relevant at the end. I’m sure you would find the earlier caricatures racist? Are they in the right then, since Nancy was so proud? Or can both be true: Aunt Jemima has a racist background, and Nancy Green was probably glad to be making money.

As Catholics, we can be pro life and anti racism in other matters as well.
 
It appears Betty Crocker is a totally made up character, I had no idea.

Does she symbolize the subservient housewife or something? Her role is in the kitchen? White? Racial stereotype? If we are “woke”, maybe we frown on this.

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Victoria33 said:
Does she symbolize the subservient housewife or something? Her role is in the kitchen? White? Racial stereotype? If we are “woke”, maybe we frown on this.
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The name Betty Crocker was created to personalize responses to consumer inquiries.

The surname Crocker was chosen to honor a popular, recently retired director of the company, William G. Crocker, whose family name had long been associated with milling. Betty was chosen simply as a friendly sounding name. Female employees were invited to submit sample Betty Crocker signatures; the one judged most distinctive is still used today. (from the website)

Aunt Jemima:

In 1889, Rutt attended a vaudeville show where he heard a catchy tune called “Aunt Jemima” sung by a blackface performer who was wearing an apron and bandanna headband. He decided to call their pancake flour “Aunt Jemima.” (in other words, they had a racist caricature in mind, and they found someone to play the part)

Rutt and Underwood were broke, so in 1890, they sold the formula to the R.T. Davis Milling Company. Mr. Davis began looking for a Black woman to employ as a living trademark for his product, and he found Nancy Green in Chicago

You can keep ignoring me, and I don’t blame you, my posts tend to read as aggressive. But if you don’t get it by now, I suspect it’s because you don’t want to, tbh. I get the left is annoying, but this isn’t political.

And if you want to go there, old Betty Crocker books have certain “sexist” elements, but the history of the brand isn’t inherently sexist. Oh well.
 
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Victoria33 said:
Perhaps one could cite an example of where “the black community found this branding offensive”, did the NAACP or someone complain about it? I never heard about it. It may now be in play as a political item but anything from 2019 or before?
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I’m guessing most people who object to this kind of thing are white people who think their objections somehow make them more virtuous than someone else.

Here’s a stereotyping most people probably don’t know about anymore. Germans were once referred to as “scrubby Dutch” because of their cleanliness. But it gave rise to an ad stereotype for “Old Dutch Cleanser”.

And there’s Gilette’s fat white girl.


And I would say “Mrs. Tucker” makes Aunt Jemima look pretty good.

https://www.google.com/search?q=mrs+tucker's+shortening&rlz=1C1CHBD_enUS854US854&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=ZlaAj_IK37LKYM%3A%2CDaJ4APxUQ3jLjM%2C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kRWwnmW74IJXj_zCcYrWmiU2n-UBQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj6qNnL7YvqAhXIGM0KHdYFACoQ9QEwAXoECAoQEw&biw=1440&bih=789#imgrc=ZlaAj_IK37LKYM:
 
This video says the “Jemima” song was written by an African American, Kearns:


It’s history and furthermore, she, Nancy Green, used some of her salary, the video says to help fund charities for African Americans.

Some sources say she was a civil rights activist as well.

It’s history. For good or bad.
 
Some images and labels very much reflect the oppression of some people. If these images and labels change it’s a good thing. The people who have a problem with this are essentially denying the power of these images, or have become so comfortable with these images that they take it as a personal offence when these changes come about.
 
Victoria33 said:
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Lea101:
Exactly. I can’t understand anyone here who’s somehow offended that the black community found this branding offensive.
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Perhaps one could cite an example of where “the black community found this branding offensive”, did the NAACP or someone complain about it? I never heard about it. It may now be in play as a political item but anything from 2019 or before?
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Since the term “colored people” is now considered offensive, perhaps the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) has some re-examining if its own to do.
 
Sarcelle said:
In Hawaii, kids call any adult they know, auntie or uncle.

We pronounce it ahhntie, not antie. At least that’s how I pronounce it.
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Among Aboriginal Australians ‘Aunty’ and ‘Uncle’ are reserved for respected elders of a community, so maybe bring the brand Down Under where it wouldn’t have the baggage.
 
Longingforpeace said:
Some images and labels very much reflect the oppression of some people. If these images and labels change it’s a good thing. The people who have a problem with this are essentially denying the power of these images, or have become so comfortable with these images that they take it as a personal offence when these changes come about.
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I’ve said this in another thread but will repeat it. I didn’t hear anyone protesting when the the Betlin Wall or statues of Saddam came down, or when Leningrad became St Petersburg. In fact there were almoat universal cheers.

These too were important parts of history - why is it OK to erase them and not this one?
 
You’re missing the point entirely. Just do a little research and you’ll see why it’s controversial.
 
Rasoleil said:
If she got a salary, it was pitifully small. She didn’t get royalties which was rightfully hers, nor did her children and their descendants. They sued, but the case was dismissed. Corporation made billions off of her likeness, and she got a pittance.
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Please submit proof that her salary was pitifully small.

The company was sold to Quaker Oats in 1926, this is well after she worked selling Aunt Jemima, QO registered the TM in 1937. I believe Quaker Oats are who was sued. Nancy Green died in 1923.

The lawsuit was dismissed.


Indeed, she was a successful woman apparently.



I also question who really buys Aunt Jemima products or do not for that matter if it is because of the labeling. But I hope that those telling us how bad this is actually use their products or however it would work.
 
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Maximian said:
Sorry but why would anyone take offense at a picture of a black woman?
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Well, because a smiling black cook denoted happiness with continued subservience in a somewhat servile position. That’s all that was seen of black people in popular culture and they often supplied comic relief. Further, the picture has been cleaned up from the grinning stereotype of earlier years.

Just like the lamp posts with a drunken Irishman holding on, the picture was an ethnic portrayal from another time.
 
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