By Miah Stringer
Staff Writer
Since June 2020, the brand formerly known as Aunt Jemima has worked on changing the name and logo in order to avoid racial stereotyping. Several companies, such as Land O’ Lakes, have done the same recently. With recent recognition of racial injustice in America, companies are under more pressure than ever to be politically correct.
On Tuesday, PepsiCo announced the new name for the company: The Pearl Milling Company. After 131 years, the company is losing its old name after criticism that the name and character perpetuated racist stereotypes. The company made a promise in June, saying that they would change the name, redesign the packaging, and pledge money to support the Black community. The Aunt Jemima character will be removed from the packaging, yet the company will keep the classic red and yellow color scheme. The new logo and branding is set to appear on store shelves this coming summer. The new company name comes from the milling company in St. Joseph, Missouri, which pioneered the self-rising pancake mix that became known as Aunt Jemima.
On top of the rebranding, PepsiCo plans to make a 1 million dollar commitment to uplift and empower black women on top of a $400 million, five-year investment to support Black business and communities, and increase Black representation at PepsiCo.