Uncle Ben’s to Rebrand as Part of Stance Against Racism

Uncle Ben’s to Rebrand as Part of Stance Against Racism Parent company Mars Inc.

Has announced their intention to change the “visual brand identity” of their Uncle Ben’s brand.

In a statement, Mars said it was their “responsibility” as a global brand to help put an end to “racial bias and injustices.” Mars, via statement They did not announce a timeline for the brand’s changes or what those changes would entail, but they did note that they were “evaluating all possibilities.” The packaging of Uncle Ben’s rice has long been criticized for its problematic use of a Black man to represent a white company.

According to the brand’s website, the box’s image was modeled after Frank Brown, a waiter at the Chicago restaurant where founder Gordon Harwell conceived the idea for Uncle Ben’s.

Critics have also pointed out that the brand’s name is an issue, as Black men were commonly referred to as “boy” or “uncle” during the Jim Crow era in order to avoid calling them “Mr.” Mrs. Butterworth's, Cream of Wheat and Aunt Jemima are taking similar measures.