What can we cancel today?

Many want Columbus Day cancelled

A number of states have moved to officially

observe Indigenous Peoples' Day, or some version
of it, instead -- a holiday to recognize the native
populations that were displaced and killed after
Christopher Columbus and other European
explorers reached the continent.
Columbus Day is technically a federal holiday, which
means it is recognized by the US government and thus
brings the closure of non-essential government offices,
and, usually, places like post offices and banks.
But states and local governments can choose not to
observe a federal holiday. Ans some stated decided to
do so

Uncle Ben's

According to the Uncle Ben's website, the product was

named when the company's founders were eating at a
Chicago restaurant and began discussing the "legendary
Texan farmer Uncle Ben, who was known for his high-
quality rice".

The face on the packaging — which is available in Australian stores — is

that of Frank Brown, a waiter at the restaurant who agreed to pose for the
Uncle Ben's portrait.
Cyndi Tiedt, an educator and database administrator at the Jim Crow
Museum of Racist Memorabilia, explained how similar is the packaging to
the black man caticature.
 Aunt Jemima - Character rooted in slavery

To promote the product, the company hired Nancy

Green, a black woman born into slavery in 1834, to
portray Aunt Jemima.

"Her role was essentially to impersonate a mammy and

impersonate a caricature of herself, a black woman," Ms
Tiedt said.

"At the Chicago World Fair, Nancy Green was made to

sing songs, cook pancakes and speak in a particular way
and tell stories of the old South.

George Mason University Professor Ayondela McDole said the founders created a backstory for
Aunt Jemima where she felt bad for her former owners, who lost money when slavery was
abolished.
"She created a recipe for instant pancake mix and travelled the country selling it so that her
master could get his money back," Professor McDole said.

“We recognize that now is the right time to evolve the Uncle Ben’s brand,
including its visual brand identity, which we will do,” said Caroline Sherman, a
spokeswoman for Mars. The company does not know the nature of the changes,
or the timing, she said, “but we are evaluating all possibilities.”