Another "Aunt" vanishes from the breakfast table

In reference to "Aunt Jemima (and Uncle Ben's) pictures on foods products, here is another way to look at it:

First, of course, slavery was wrong. Democrat plantation/farm owners had no right to buy and sell humans. Their staff should have been paid and free to come and go. Their creation of the KKK was abominable. But the sad fact is that is not the way that it was.

The fact is we had slaves. We can't erase history and we certainly, and unfortunately, cannot change it.

With that being said, the African slaves were exceedingly hard and dedicated workers. Many were loyal to their "family" and refused to leave, even after being set free by President Lincoln.

Without their hard labors producing products, especially cotton, that were distributed across the United States, out nation would not have prospered. We owe so much to the brave, dedicated and hardworking people who endured unfathomable hardships.

When I see a picture of "Aunt Jemima" it reminds me of what these people did for us and how much we owe them.

If we try to erase history, or rewrite it and ignore the fact that there was slavery, then we are denying these millions of people recognition for their lives and what they gave to this nation. So many want to erase our memories of these heroes. Instead of honoring them, they are pretending theses millions of people, who were caught in slavery, didn't exist. In other words their lives were for nothing.

We honor athletes on Wheaties cereal boxes, but we can't honor the heroes of the south on a box of pancake mix or rice.

I have never once heard a person of color complain about Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben ever. I think many are proud of their ancestors, they are not proud of slavery, but proud of their ancestors who endured it. Even if its just a picture on a box, it is recognition.

I think we should honor the slaves, our heroes of the American south, for what they accomplished, what they gave to our nation and for what they had endured. It's just one more slap in the face of indignation to our former slaves by the food manufactures who want to pretend they never lived.

If we have to start their recognition with a picture on a box of pancake mix so be it. We owe them so much more than the over-paid athletes whom we so gladly honor and glorify on boxes of cereal.

This post was last edited 10/18/2021 at 15:52


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Post# 1131036 10/12/2021 at 19:24 (926 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA)
Checkrate/Likes 4 Apparently following Pepsico's lead, ALDI is replacing the Aunt Maple's brand of pancake mix and syrup with Millville (their cereal brand). Aunt Maple never had a face but the move seems to be emulating Pepsico's brand change from Aunt Jemima to Pearl Milling Company (which some say sounds like a cement company). Pearl MILLing Company . . . MILLville. Coincidence? I think not. ::dramatic music sting::

Post# 1131054 , Reply# 1 10/13/2021 at 12:53 (926 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)
Checkrate/Likes 3 They are just following their usual marketing ploy. Aldi branded products tend to have similar sounding names and appearance of packages of well known national products. No surprise they updated their pancake mix. While I fully understand the reason Aunt Jemima has vanished, I still miss it simply out of nostalgia.

Post# 1131067 , Reply# 2 10/13/2021 at 16:53 (926 days old) by Tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)
Checkrate/Likes 8 They should have changed the name to Aunt Vagina.

Post# 1131081 , Reply# 3 10/13/2021 at 21:41 (925 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)
Checkrate/Likes 9 *Woke culture madness* The country has gone crazy. Being Italian it wouldnt have bothered me a bit if there was a pasta sauce sold under the " Old Guido " or " Joe Grease ball " brands. I think theres bigger fish to fry in life to get triggered over all that krappe

Post# 1131083 , Reply# 4 10/13/2021 at 21:53 (925 days old) by Ultramatic (New York City)
Checkrate/Likes 6 Uh-huh. But Guido and company weren't enslaved were they?

Post# 1131098 , Reply# 5 10/14/2021 at 07:37 (925 days old) by kenwashesmonday (Carlstadt, NJ)
Checkrate/Likes 7 In the south years ago, a white person did not call a black person Mr. or Mrs. They used Aunt or Uncle instead. This is a point that many people are unaware of today, and why these product names are considered offensive.

Post# 1131099 , Reply# 6 10/14/2021 at 08:07 (925 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA)
Checkrate/Likes *Animal characters are the least likely to offend . . .* Why not depict Aunt Maple as a motherly bespectacled anthropomorphic she-bear? Just a thought.

Post# 1131100 , Reply# 7 10/14/2021 at 08:17 (925 days old) by joeekaitis (Rialto, California, USA)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *And as to Auntie J . . .* Recast the character as a 30-ish African American woman and change the name to Jemima's Kitchen. A missed opportunity. View Full Size

Post# 1131107 , Reply# 8 10/14/2021 at 10:11 (925 days old) by donprohel (I live in Munich - Germany, but I am Italian)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *The explanation in Reply# 5 is much appreciated* You are right, Kenwashesmonday, I didn't know: thank you very much

Post# 1131114 , Reply# 9 10/14/2021 at 12:34 (925 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)
Checkrate/Likes 1 Same here, had no idea how racist the words aunt and uncle actually are in this particular context. Which reminds me of a silly situation a long time ago shopping clothes in the USA. At the register I was asked if someone helped me find my purchase and indeed I`ve had the nicest help you could imagine. Of course I wanted her to get the commission but I couldn`t remember her name so I said it was the black girl. Just telling from the looks I got I immediately knew something was wrong, apologized and said I meant the colored girl. The cashier asked me where I`m coming from, I said from Germany and everything seemed all right again. About an hour later it occurred to me that black men were called boys in the US in the past, so I think the word girl was taken offensive. To my defense calling a young lady a girl (M�dchen) is perfectly ok in German. Oh, and guess how I learned that "yes" is not the correct answer in English if someone says "excuse me" but that`s an entirely different story. LOL

Post# 1131152 , Reply# 10 10/14/2021 at 23:23 (924 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *Reply #4* No but Guido & Co sure were treated like dirt when they came here, from getting their names destroyed in translation to being treated like trash by the Irish, who loathed all those " dirty guineas ". Trust me I heard lots of stories growing up from the old timers that lived through that discrimination. Anyone that thinks the Italians had a picnic when they got here has been reading too much " revised " history taught in todays schools.

Post# 1131156 , Reply# 11 10/15/2021 at 05:02 (924 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)
Checkrate/Likes *Green or Brown Forum for the Rest?* Seems educational to read this, most I knew, and a bit I didn�t but I don�t care to mention which, although a certain Uncle Ben makes me wonder what�s his now defunct generic counterpart now that I learn the sad, shameful story behind there (there, that�s what I�m newbie to)� � Dave

Post# 1131170 , Reply# 12 10/15/2021 at 11:35 (924 days old) by donprohel (I live in Munich - Germany, but I am Italian)
Checkrate/Likes 1 *...and also* The explanation of Kenwashesmonday in Reply #5 gives a complete new meaning (new to me, I mean) to the "Uncle Tom's Cabin". I am ashamed by my ignorance.

Post# 1131182 , Reply# 13 10/15/2021 at 16:26 (924 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)
Checkrate/Likes Well such sad truths about even more that went on and went to Uncle Toms cabin years ago only learning about slavery and the fact it was just a northern refuge for slaves to migrate to from the south� � Dave

Post# 1131341 , Reply# 14 10/17/2021 at 22:41 (921 days old) by DaveAMKrayoGuy (Oak Park, MI)
Checkrate/Likes And just for the record the Iconic Uncle is gone from what�s now BEN�S Rice, making me wonder if anyone saved those any of those old probably now collectible wrappers� � Dave

Post# 1131342 , Reply# 15 10/17/2021 at 22:48 (921 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)
Checkrate/Likes Ben is now a second uncle, twice removed ........

Post# 1131344 , Reply# 16 10/18/2021 at 02:56 (921 days old) by mrboilwash (Munich,Germany)
Checkrate/Likes 2 Not sure about England, but in Germany and presumably most if not all other nations and languages in the EU there is absolutely no negative historic context in the words boy, girl, uncle and aunt to people of any color. But Mars decided to rename their products to Ben`s Rice over here too, taking the innocence from the old logo and turning it into something ugly and racist which it never was in these shores as it was in the US. Won`t miss it, not even for nostalgia because I never really liked their products and I find them way overpriced but I think it would have sufficed to update the brand only in markets where it does make sense. Sort of like Tide and Ariel.

Post# 1131364 , Reply# 17 10/18/2021 at 12:21 (921 days old) by robbinsandmyers (Conn)
Checkrate/Likes 3 *Reply #16* Most times here in the USA the triggered lot take something that was never ugly and racist in the first place either and spin it to make something the vast population never had a problem with for many decades but suddenly becomes infuriated with. See what happens when you grow without a blanket, binky, or support turtle to run to when life doesnt go the way you like it to? LOL

Post# 1131373 , Reply# 18 10/18/2021 at 15:11 (921 days old) by reactor (Oak Ridge, Tennessee-- )
Checkrate/Likes 8 In reference to "Aunt Jemima (and Uncle Ben's) pictures on foods products, here is another way to look at it: First, of course, slavery was wrong. Democrat plantation/farm owners had no right to buy and sell humans. Their staff should have been paid and free to come and go. Their creation of the KKK was abominable. But the sad fact is that is not the way that it was. The fact is we had slaves. We can't erase history and we certainly, and unfortunately, cannot change it. With that being said, the African slaves were exceedingly hard and dedicated workers. Many were loyal to their "family" and refused to leave, even after being set free by President Lincoln. Without their hard labors producing products, especially cotton, that were distributed across the United States, out nation would not have prospered. We owe so much to the brave, dedicated and hardworking people who endured unfathomable hardships. When I see a picture of "Aunt Jemima" it reminds me of what these people did for us and how much we owe them. If we try to erase history, or rewrite it and ignore the fact that there was slavery, then we are denying these millions of people recognition for their lives and what they gave to this nation. So many want to erase our memories of these heroes. Instead of honoring them, they are pretending theses millions of people, who were caught in slavery, didn't exist. In other words their lives were for nothing. We honor athletes on Wheaties cereal boxes, but we can't honor the heroes of the south on a box of pancake mix or rice. I have never once heard a person of color complain about Aunt Jemima or Uncle Ben ever. I think many are proud of their ancestors, they are not proud of slavery, but proud of their ancestors who endured it. Even if its just a picture on a box, it is recognition. I think we should honor the slaves, our heroes of the American south, for what they accomplished, what they gave to our nation and for what they had endured. It's just one more slap in the face of indignation to our former slaves by the food manufactures who want to pretend they never lived. If we have to start their recognition with a picture on a box of pancake mix so be it. We owe them so much more than the over-paid athletes whom we so gladly honor and glorify on boxes of cereal. This post was last edited 10/18/2021 at 15:52