Larnell Evans Sr., a great-grandson of the woman who portrayed one of the earliest versions of Aunt Jemima, spoke to Patch recently about Quaker Foods decision to eliminate the Aunt Jemima brand in response to civil unrest and protests calling for racial equity. Evans is not happy with the move and had the following to say about it:
"This is an injustice for me and my family. This is part of my history, sir. The racism they talk about, using images from slavery, that comes from the other side — white people. This company profits off images of our slavery. And their answer is to erase my great-grandmother's history. A black female. … It hurts."
The company's original Aunt Jemima was Nancy Green. She made her debut public appearance at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair and played the role until her death in 1923. Evans says his great-grandmother — the late Anna Short Harrington — took over after being discovered by a Quaker rep at the New York State Fair in 1935. Quaker Oats used Harrington's likeness on products and advertising, and sent her around the country to serve pancakes at appearances as "Aunt Jemima."
Evans also claims that the company used his great-grandmother's pancake recipe and has attempted to sue Quaker Oats in federal court. Get the full story at the Patch link above.
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