These Brands Are Still Tapping Into Nostalgia for Slavery, Whether You Realize It or Not
Mascots from the Jim Crow era are alive and well
These brand mascots emerged between the Civil War and the Civil Rights Act.
Cream of Wheat, Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben's
Key Insights:
- An 1857 Supreme Court decision helped spur caricatures of African Americans in popular culture.
- Post-Civil War branding included imagery born in defense of slavery.
Dairy brand Land O’Lakes is hardly alone in using a cultural stereotype as a mascot for generations—and it’s also not alone in its reluctance to speak publicly about it.
