The famous “Aunt Jemima” breakfast brand has been rebranded into the Pearl Milling Company. The new name pays homage to the mill built in 1888 that began producing the well-known pancake mix in 1889. The brand has previously been criticized for its racist origins, which involved a caricature of a Black “mammy” character from a popular minstrel. The company announced the decision to rebrand in 2020 after the death of George Floyd.
“Last June, PepsiCo and The Quaker Oats Company made a commitment to change the name and image of Aunt Jemima, recognizing that they do not reflect our core values. While the name on the box has changed, the great tasting products — the ‘pearl’ inside the familiar red box – remains the same,” Pearl Milling Company said in a statement at the time.