A TikTok video criticized PepsiCo for altering the iconic Aunt Jemima logo, one of the longest-running trademarks in American advertising. The video began with the lament, “A great woman, erased from history by idiots,” and recounted the story of Nancy Green. The creator claimed, “Now, future generations will not even know this beautiful woman existed. What a shame.”
The video portrays PepsiCo as deliberately erasing an integral part of African American history with its new “woke” advertising campaign. PepsiCo owns the Pearl Milling Company, formerly known as Aunt Jemima.
The original logo, which began as a vaudeville caricature, evolved into a cartoon and eventually featured 11 performers, starting with Nancy Green. The company aligned the logo with contemporary standards and imagery.
Nancy Green as Aunt Jemima
“She was a true American success story,” the video claimed of Nancy Green. “She was born a slave in 1834 in Montgomery County, Kentucky, and became a wealthy superstar in the advertising world as its first living trademark.”
That would have been a great story if it were true. They buried Nancy Green in an unmarked pauper’s grave in 1923. Green represented the brand from 1893 until Agnes Moody assumed the role in 1900 after Green declined to travel to the Paris exhibition. There were nine other women who played the part of Aunt Jemima after Moody, including Lillian Richard who played the role for 23 years.
Pearl Milling Company likely compensated for Nancy Green appearances, but she didn’t amass wealth during her lifetime, working as a housekeeper and hired help until she died at 76.
The Pearl Milling Company
If the video creator had conducted further research, they would have discovered that The Pearl Milling Company initially claimed Agnes Moody was the first Aunt Jemima. The logo is based on the “mammy” archetype; a rotund, grandmotherly submissive servant. In the late 1800s, formerly enslaved people were denied honorifics such as “Mr. and Mrs.” but people often called them aunts and uncles, such as “Uncle Tom” and “Aunt Jemima”.
Pearl Milling Company didn’t invent the Aunt Jemima image; they merely trademarked it. In the Library of Congress, there’s an image depicting a caricature of an older, smiling black woman named “Miss Jim-Ima-Crow,” with a framed picture of James Crow behind it. In 1864, a character named Aunt Jemima appeared on stage played by performers in blackface.
The TikTok content creator based their video on half of the story. Nancy Green was indeed the first living trademark. Their claim that the change was an attempt to rewrite or conceal history lacks foundation. People have long used the term “Aunt Jemima” as the female counterpart to “Uncle Tom.” A radio host famously called Condoleezza Rice “Aunt Jemima” and also referred to Clarence Thomas as an “Uncle Tom.” In Virginia, a mayor faced censure after referring to Kamala Harris as “Aunt Jemima” when she became President Joe Biden’s running mate.
PepsiCo changed Aunt Jemima
It is ironic that the content creator aired their complaint about PepsiCo renaming the company and changing the logo. According to NY Times, Quaker Oats, which has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001, announced its decision on the logo. This was just days after a TikTok video describing the brand’s history was shared widely on social media. In retiring the name and character, the company acknowledged that Aunt Jemima’s origins were ‘based on a racial stereotype.’”
Users uncovered history in one video, but another is being used to erase history to suit a non-racist narrative that simply doesn’t exist.
The original video shared a racist history of a long standing brand and uncovered the story of Nancy Green. Her unmarked grave was finally given a headstone where history finally learned her name.
TikTok is reshaping historical narratives by presenting diverse perspectives, yet concurrently disseminating misinformation that is often accepted as truth.
Read more of my thoughts and things!
