Popular food brand, Uncle Ben’s has finally changed their name following its commitment to change back in June.
The brand was amongst others like Aunt Jemima, who admitted to capitalizing off of the lives of Black people for the success of their brands.
“We will change our name to Ben’s Original™ as well as remove the image on our packaging to create more equitable iconography,” said the company in a written statement. “This change signals our ambition to create a more inclusive future while maintaining our commitment to producing the world’s best rice.”
They also wrote, “Over the last several weeks, we have listened to thousands of consumers, our own Associates and other stakeholders from around the world. We understand the inequities that were associated with the name and face of the Uncle Ben’s brand.”
Continuing on the apology train, the brand says they will also take other initiatives to back their call to support the Black community.
“In addition, in Greenville, Mississippi- where our brand has been produced in the U.S. for more than 40 years- we will invest to address issues that have plagued this region of the U.S. for generations,” they revealed in the statement. “This programming will focus on enhancing educational opportunities for more than 7,500 area students, as well as furthering access to fresh foods.”
While the name change is necessary, there is still more work to be done. Hopefully, the brand will truly back its initiatives to support the Black community from this point forward.
