Uncle Ben’s rice renamed after racist stereotyping backlash

Опубликованно 25.09.2020 13:10

The popular rice – which is sold in Australian supermarkets – will now be known as Ben’s Original and will ditch the imagery of a black farmer from its packaging.

The US brand, which is owned by Mars Inc, had been labelled “racist” by shoppers in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement that gained momentum following the death of George Floyd in June.

Titles such as uncle and aunt were commonly used in southern US states to refer to black people, instead of the more formal and respectful “Miss” or “Mister”.

Mars said it understood the “inequities” of the brand’s racial imagery and were “committed to change”.

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Uncle Ben’s is changing its name following critcisim for perpetuating racial stereotypes. Picture: EVA HAMBACH / AFP

“Over several weeks, we have listened to thousands of consumers, our own associates and other stakeholders from around the world,” said Fiona Dawson, a Mars executive. “We understand the inequities that were associated with the name and face of the previous brand and, as we announced in June, we have committed to change.”

In June, a statement posted on the brand’s Facebook page said the global brand was “listening to the voice of consumers, especially in the Black community” and would be making changes.

It also previously explained that Uncle Ben was a fictional character whose name was first used in 1946 in reference to an African American Texan rice farmer, Frank Brown.

As a global brand, we know we have a responsibility to help put an end to racial injustices. One way we can do this is...Posted by Uncle Ben's U.S.A. on   Wednesday, 17 June 2020

The rice products are sold in Woolworths, Coles and IGA supermarkets in Australia for around $3 a packet.

On social media, the brand’s name change has been met with mixed reviews.

Some people on social media have claimed the outrage hasn’t come from the Black community, instead stating it is other people who are “offended on Black people’s behalf”. While others said it was important to have “representation”.

There are a lot of white people being offended on black people's behalf these days.I can't speak for all, but I don't think anyone was offended by Aunt Jemima's syrup, Uncle Ben's rice, Gone With The Wind, or who voices certain cartoon characters.This is getting dumb...

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