The syrup brand formerly known as Aunt Jemima has revealed its new name and logo after pledging to rid the brand of its racist origins. On Tuesday (Feb. 9), the brand’s parent company PepsiCo announced that the syrup will now be called Pearl Milling Company — a nod to the 19th-century mill that created the original self-rising pancake mix. The syrup brand’s signature colors of red, white and yellow still remain on the bottle, but a new icon of the Missouri-based mill has replaced the controversial image of “Aunt Jemima.”
In a statement, PepsiCo said they were “starting a new day with Pearl Milling Company… rooted in the brand’s historic beginnings and its mission to create moments that matter at the breakfast table.”
Along with the name and logo change, PepsiCo has also pledged $1 million to “empower and uplift Black girls and women.” According to CBS, the new branding will hit store shelves this June.
The brand’s retired Aunt Jemima logo faced renewed public scrutiny this summer as racial justice protests rippled through the U.S. after George Floyd’s death. As a result, several companies and sports teams finally changed their racist brand names and logos, many of which had been deemed controversial for years.
“We recognize Aunt Jemima’s origins are based on a racial stereotype. While work has been done over the years to update the brand in a manner intended to be appropriate and respectful, we realize those changes are not enough,” Kristin Kroepfl, vice president and chief marketing officer of Quaker Foods North America, said in a press release at the time.
A spokesperson from PepsiCo also admitted, “While the Aunt Jemima brand was updated over the years in a manner intended to remove racial stereotypes, it has not progressed enough to appropriately reflect the dignity, respect and warmth that we stand for today.”
See the syrup company’s new look below.