In response to recent events and calls for racial equity, Quaker Foods announced that it would retire the Aunt Jemima brand. Mars Inc., the makers of Uncle Ben’s instant rice, also followed suit by changing the brand’s name and logo. The image on the Cream Of Wheat box is also under consideration for removal.
Evans, a 66-year-old Marine Corps veteran, believes that corporations like Quaker Oats should do more than just remove these images. He argues that they should acknowledge the profits they made from these racist depictions and provide restitution to the black community.
Evans’s passion for preserving his family’s history is rooted in the desire for accountability and acknowledgment of the pain caused by these images. He believes that it is not enough to simply erase history without addressing the ongoing struggles and injustices faced by black Americans.
The fight for racial equity continues, and Evans hopes that corporations will step up to the plate and take responsibility for their past actions. Removing these racially insensitive images is a step in the right direction, but true progress requires more than just erasing the evidence.