Cream of Wheat is reviewing its mascot as brands look to get rid of racial stereotypes
Cream of Wheat said it is reviewing its packaging after several major brands said they were changing their branding due to depictions of Black people on their products.
B&G Foods announced the plans for immediate review Wednesday night, citing concerns over Cream of Wheat’s packaging, which includes an image of a Black chef on the box.
“We understand there are concerns regarding the Chef image and we are committed to evaluating our packaging and will proactively take steps to ensure that we and our brands do not inadvertently contribute to systemic racism,” the company said. “B&G Foods unequivocally stands against prejudice and injustice of any kind.”
Many believe the image of the chef on the box was inspired by Frank L. White, a chef in Chicago who died in 1938, CBS News reported.
The image replaced Cream of Wheat’s original mascot Rastus, a racist caricature of Black Americans, in 1925, Business Insider reported.
Despite the change, Naa Oyo A. Kwate, associate professor of Africana studies at Rutgers University, said the subtext of the image remained the same, CNN reported.
“You still are referencing the place of black people as servants, as your chefs,” Kwate said, according to the outlet. “You can still draw on that legacy of what slavery meant and what black people’s natural position is supposed to be -- your own personal slave in a box.”
The review comes as a handful of brands said they were taking steps to remove imagery depicting racial stereotypes from their packaging. Syrup brand Aunt Jemima said it would change its name and remove its logo from products. Uncle Ben’s, a brand of rice products, said it plans to “evolve” brand identity and images associated with the line. Mrs. Butterworth’s syrup said it has already begun to review its branding and packaging.
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 9:33 AM with the headline "Cream of Wheat is reviewing its mascot as brands look to get rid of racial stereotypes."