Uncle Ben’s says it plans to change its brand. ‘Racism has no place in society’

Makers of Uncle Ben’s say it’s time to “evolve” the brand identity and visuals of the line of rice products, which features an African American man linked by some to slave imagery.

“As a global brand, we know we have a responsibility to take a stand in helping to put an end to racial bias and injustices,” says a statement posted Wednesday by Mars.

“As we listen to the voices of consumers, especially in the Black community, and to the voices of our Associates worldwide, we recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand, including its visual brand identity, which we will do,” the statement reads.

“Racism has no place in society,” it continues, saying Mars stands in solidarity with the Black community.

The announcement follows a similar one by the makers of Aunt Jemima syrups, who have also pledged to rework the brand and logo, saying they are “based on a racial stereotype,” McClatchy News previously reported.

The Uncle Ben’s brand name was first used in 1946 to refer to a Black farmer by that name in Texas, but the logo was modeled on a Chicago chef and waiter, according to the Uncle Ben’s website.

But critics have said the imagery suggests a servant, while the “uncle” title reflects how white Southerners “once used ‘uncle’ and ‘aunt’ as honorifics for older blacks because they refused to say ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.,’ “ The New York Times reported in 2007.

The decision follows days of nationwide protests sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis on Memorial Day.

The vast majority of the protesters across the nation have been “peaceful demonstrators calling for change,” law enforcement officials told ABC News.

This story was originally published June 17, 2020 at 1:15 PM with the headline "Uncle Ben’s says it plans to change its brand. ‘Racism has no place in society’."