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[b]The backstory Aunt Jemima and Nancy Green[/b]

As many probably know by now, Quaker Oats has plans to remove the Aunt Jemima name and image from its products, including from the pancake mix, syrup and other breakfast foods. This decision comes amid widespread protest against police brutality and institutional racism. Since then, there has been mixed reactions with support and backlash over the decision. However, there is more to the reason why the name and image is being removed that most people might not know about. Even throughout my research on the brand, there was a lot of information that I did not know other than knowing since I was a child that the original Aunt Jemima logo was based on the racial stereotype of a black woman as a “mammy”. As a warning this is a long post..

So to start off, Aunt Jemima is not a real person at all but a pancake mix created by Chris Rutt who created the brand in 1889, he got the inspiration from the minstrel song “Old Aunt Jemima”, which was composed by African American comedian and performer Billy Kersands. At the time, Aunt Jemima was seen as a “mammy” character, a racial stereotype of a black woman who served as a nurse to white children in the Southern U.S.

The brand would be later sold to R.T. Davis Milling Co. after Rutt failed to sell the flour and brought the mix to the 1893 World’s Columbia Exposition Fair in Chicago after struggling with profits. There, is where they found and hired Nancy Green, a former slave from Kentucky who moved to Chicago in 1865 and worked as a cooker for a wealthy family, to act as a live model for the brand and sell their pancake flour. Standing near a large flour basket the company constructed, Nancy Green, dressed as a slave mammy, sang songs, cooked pancakes and told stories about the Old South which presented the South as a happy place for blacks and whites alike. And as a result, served tens of thousands of pancakes by the time the fair ended.

By the turn of the century, Aunt Jemima, along with another brand were two commercial symbols most trusted by American housewives. And by 1910 more than 120 million Aunt Jemima breakfasts were being served annually and inspired many giveaway and mail-in premiums, including dolls, breakfast club pins, dishware, and recipe booklets. The fame of the brand Aunt Jemima also coincided with the explosion of advertising during WWI, Nancy’s image was plastered on billboards nationwide, with the caption “I’se in town honey.” And went on to make her appearances at countless county fairs, flea markets, food shows, and local grocery stores.

One of the many advertisements



For the rumors circulating for a while that Nancy Green died a millionaire, there is no evidence that Mrs. Green shared in any of the profits from the company that sold the pancake mix. Mrs. Green’s net worth is not known, it’s possible that she was paid well but not to the point where she became a millionaire. However, this did not stop Green as her career allowed her the financial freedom to become an activist and engage in antipoverty programs. Going on to use her stature as a spokesperson to become a leading advocate against poverty and in favor of equal rights for individuals in Chicago as well as being was one of the organizers for her church, Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago, and becoming one of the first Black missionary workers.

Nancy maintained her job as the Aunt Jemima impersonator until her death at the age of 83 after being struck by a vehicle in 1923. The R.T. Davis Mill Company would later sell the brand to Quaker Oats company in 1926, 3 years after Nancy's passing. Over the years other models have been used for the Aunt Jemima brand and in recent years, Aunt Jemima has been given a makeover: her skin is lighter and the handkerchief has been removed from her head. She now has the appearance of an attractive maid a not the caricature of a Jim Crow era mammy.

Green’s resting place is in the Oak Woods Cemetery located Chicago and has never received a headstone until May of 2020 when Sherry Williams, president of the historical society whom had been campaigning to place a headstone at Green’s grave for over 8 years finally got approval from the cemetery to add one. "In Black communities, we visit our grave sites. We have picnics at grave sites. We have a tradition called grave 'Decoration Day,' " Williams said. "Out of the countless notables in Chicago's cemeteries I'd like to have a headstone placed on ... the No. 1 person I want to put a marker down for is Nancy Green."


Aside from the relief from critics that Quaker Oats will remove the name and logo from their brand, there is also backlash over the decision from descendants of Nancy Green and historians hoping the company will keep Nancy Green’s legacy alive in some way. Romi Crawford, the researcher at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said she hopes Green is remembered for more than just playing a racist stereotype.

"The problem with the portrayal is that she was, and Black women subsequently are, plagued by representations that don't align with the scope of their ambition, desires and abilities," she said. "Knowing her story will help debunk the caricature."

Original photo of Nancy Green



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Sources:
https://apnews.com/afs:Content:9030960288

https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/quaker-oats-will-retire-aunt-jemima-logo-180975127/

https://aaregistry.org/story/nancy-green-the-original-aunt-jemima/

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/jun/22/facebook-posts/theres-no-proof-aunt-jemima-was-millionaire/

https://www.legacy.com/news/culture-and-history/finally-a-proper-headstone-for-the-original-aunt-jemima-spokeswoman-nancy-green/

https://www.npr.org/local/309/2020/06/19/880918717/the-fight-to-commemorate-nancy-green-the-woman-who-played-the-original-aunt-jemima
Strictgram · 70-79, C
Impressive.
wonkywinky · 51-55, M
Will this crap EVER end?
Hasmita · M
Thank you.

Quakers Oats are not to be confused with Quakers who believe in equality😐️
Jill1990 · 31-35, F
I enjoyed reading that - thanks so much.
SubstantialKick · 31-35, M
Interesting, thanks for posting.
ArtieKat · M
Fascinating! As a professional cook I'm intrigued that the pancake flour derives from a mixture of wheat, corn and rice.
SW-User
@ArtieKat Hmm, I did not know that.
ronisme1 · 61-69, M
Thank you for all the research and info. I found it very interesting and I love that she got a gravestone. She definately is a moment in history to be remembered
texasmentor54 · 70-79, M
I suggest this as a replacement, lol. [image deleted]
Sublearner · 31-35, F
Yeah interesting news

 
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