Beyond the Confederate flag: Five more racially insensitive things that need to go away

This could get out of hand.

As outrage over the Confederate Battle flag’s display grows around the nation and online, politicians and business leaders are joining the chorus of people condemning arguably racist Civil War-era memorabilia.

But companies may want to tread lightly on this topic. Purging the nation of perceivably racist cultural relics could be harder than most people think.

Here are five other questionably racist things that may be next to go:

Aunt Jemima pancakes and syrup

The famous breakfast brand owned by Pepsi Co’s Quaker Oats division first introduced its iconic “mammy” mascot back in 1889. Scholars regard the mammy as a stereotypical depiction of black women who served as maids and nurses to white families during and after slavery.

Back then Aunt Jemima wore a red bandana, bright red lipstick, and an apron. Today, she sports a short hairdo. She also used to say grammatically incorrect catch phrases like, “I’s in town, honey!” Quaker Oats has done away with most of the stereotypes since then, but Aunt Jemima’s name and likeness remain.

Descendants filing on behalf of former Jemima actresses Anna Short Harrington and Nancy Green, a former slave, sued Quaker Oats in 2014seeking billions of dollars in unpaid royalties for the women’s role in making the brand famous. That lawsuit was dismissed in February.

Uncle Ben’s Rice

Owned by the Mars Company, this racially-charged pitch man and his self-titled line of rice and side dishes were first introduced in 1946. The man who inspired the Uncle Ben character was a black Texan rice farmer, but the image was an old African-American restaurant maître de.

Uncle Ben is depicted as a bow tie-wearing servant. And no, the company’s founders were not his nephews or nieces. The “Uncle” in his name was a common 19th century pajorative term used to describe an elderly, submissive black male slave, e.g. the phrase, “Uncle Tom.”

In a 2007 branding makeover, Mars dropped the “Uncle” and just called him “Ben.” They also gave the fictional character a “promotion” to CEO of his own company. His image is used far less these days, but Ben is still alive and kicking.

Chiquita Bananas’ Miss Chiquita

Miss Chiquita was introduced in 1944. The animated character voiced by the late Monica Lewis was a scantily-clad banana wearing a fruit hat that critics argue perpetuated stereotypes about Latinas being hypersexual. This hasn’t been helped by the company’s record of working with abusive governments in Latin-American countries where its farms operate. Chiquita’s ads also featured prominent racial stereotypes of blacks and Inuit people.

Miss Chiquita was changed from a banana to a woman in 1987. New York Actress Angela Lanza played the role from 2000 – 2003.

“Miss Chiquita continues to reign supreme as the indisputable first lady of fruit,” the company’s website boasts. “And who knows, she may be at a nearby grocery store waiting to meet you right now!”

The ice cream truck song

The Purging Of “the 4 Olds” Has Begun