Untold Stories: How a Former Slave Became 'Aunt Jemima,' the 1st Living Trademark
A former slave became America’s first living trademark, the famous “Aunt Jemima”
There are so many inspiring, beautiful stories about the great heroes of American history which are scarcely ever told. One happens on them accidentally—buried in a thick, out-of-print biography, in small print on a museum sign, casually and fleetingly mentioned in an obscure educational video. America cannot return to greatness in the future if we do not truly understand the greatness of our past. That is why I am writing an article series to tell a few of these little-known but moving “untold stories” of American greatness.
Other articles in this series have included how George Washington single-handedly ended dangerous infighting in the Revolutionary Army, how Union Col. Trimble saved black freemen from Confederate enslavers, trailblazing Marines throughout U.S. history, Abraham Lincoln’s visits with the former slaves of the “contraband camps,” and Fr. Capodanno, the “Grunt Padre” and Marine hero. Today’s story is about a victim of modern woke cancel culture, the former slave who became famous as “Aunt Jemima.”
The Democrats might have lost the Civil War, but they certainly won the peace—and they got a lot more clever about their racism. Now, for instance, Democrats push black people to abort their children instead of forming KKK mobs. . .and they cancel black icons in the name of “anti-racism.” Woke, self-righteous leftists got “Aunt Jemima” canceled from the famous pancake mix and syrup, and thus buried a great and inspiring American success story. The real “Aunt Jemima,” Nancy Green, was born a slave but achieved worldwide fame and recognition cooking and advertising for the first “ready-mix” pancakes.
“[African American Registry, emphasis added] Nancy Green was born a slave in Montgomery County, Kentucky [in 1834].
In 1890, she was hired by the R.T. Davis Milling Company who was looking to employ a Black woman as a Mammy archetype to promote their new product. In 1893, she was introduced as Aunt Jemima at the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago in the guise of a plantation slave, where it was her job to operate a pancake-cooking display. Her amiable personality and talent as a cook for the Walker family, whose children grew up to become Chicago Circuit Judge Charles M. Walker and Dr. Samuel Walker helped establish a successful showing of the product, for which she received a medal and certificate from the Expo officials. . .
This marked the beginning of a major promotional push by the company that included thousands of personal appearances and Aunt Jemima merchandising. Green was one of the organizers of the Olivet Baptist Church in Chicago. Her career allowed Green the financial freedom to become an activist. . .She also was one of the first Black missionary workers. . .
Nancy Green maintained this job until a car crash in Chicago killed her on August 30, 1923. . .The famous Aunt Jemima recipe was not her recipe, but she became the advertising world's first living trademark.”
The pancake mix is still in use today, of course, and ready-mix pancakes have become an American staple. Fortunately we have racist leftists to bury Green and her story deeper than Joe Biden’s crimes.
“[African American Registry, emphasis added] The Aunt Jemima pancake mix debuted as the first ready-mix and became one of the most recognized brands in US history. St. Joseph Gazette editor Chris L. Rutt and his friend Charles G. Underwood bought a flour mill in 1888. . .
Rutt sold their company to the Randolph Truett Davis Milling Company in 1890. Davis improved the flavor and texture of the product and [it] was renamed Aunt Jemima Mills in February 1914. By 1915, the Aunt Jemima brand was so well recognized that it changed trademark infringement precedent, the ‘Aunt Jemima Doctrine’. The Quaker Oats Company purchased the Aunt Jemima Mills Company in 1926 and formally registered the Aunt Jemima trademark in April 1937. It [was] one of the longest continually running logos and trademarks in the history of American advertising.”
Until woke white leftists intervened, of course. Heaven forbid we have logos depicting former slaves who achieved financial success and fame. Clearly, obliterating black history like Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben is not racism.
We should fight back against cancel culture by remembering Nancy Green, the beloved Aunt Jemima.