Shutterstock
Uncle Ben’s rice is officially rebranding in an effort to drop its racist imagery. Mars Inc. has announced that it is changing the name of the company and dropping its controversial, stereotype image moving forward.
The company will now go by Ben’s Original.
“We’re still in the process of deciding on what our new iconography will be, but are committed to ensuring that it will be truly reflective of the inclusive future we are striving to create for Ben’s Original,” a Mars Food spokesperson said in a statement, via the New York Post.
“We are not just changing our name and the image on the package, but also taking action to enhance inclusion and equity.”
The company first announced in June that it would be changing the name following mass protests and an increase in conversation about racism following the death of George Floyd.
Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on the back of his neck for nearly 8 minutes while Floyd pleaded for air. He was just 46 years old. The ex-officer, Derek Chauvin, has been arrested had his charges upgraded to second-degree murder. The three other officers involved — Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao — have been fired by the Minneapolis Police Department and were also arrested and charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.
