Master P introduces a new line of “Uncle P” food products to offer consumers a Black-owned alternative to brands that use Black names and imagery, but don’t often give back to Black communities.
In a CNN report, the New Orleans rapper and serial entrepreneur said that he had always assumed brands like Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Jemima were Black-owned.point 274 |
Until recently, when some brands began to be phased out for continuing harmful racial stereotypes, that he learned about their problematic histories and decided to do something about it.point 162 | point 162 | 1
Master P’s new line of “Uncle P’s Louisiana Seasoned” food products includes rice, beans, grits, pancake mix, syrup, and oatmeal. A part of the profits will go towards educating inner-city kids and assisting elderly people in Black communities across the U.S.
“When you look at Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, a lot of those products are mockeries of African-American people and couldn’t even feed our communities. With Uncle P, the more we make, the more we give. And the only way to give is by owning these products,” P said.
Uncle P’s brand aims to create more job opportunities with upward mobility for Black people, P added. He also wants to use a portion of the profits to develop real estate in Black neighborhoods.
“Right now we’re burning down our blocks and our communities while protesting injustice, but if we are able to own products and put money back in our community, we could buy those blocks back instead of burning them down,” he said.point 209 |
“If they made billions of dollars off Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben, imagine how much we’ll make to give back to our own community.point 116 | It’ll be us helping us without having to wait for the government.point 176 | We can actually change the world.point 204 |
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It’s a change P genuinely believes is possible.point 171 | After all, the self-made millionaire builds his music and business empire from a mere $10,000 malpractice settlement that he received after his grandfather’s death.point 318 |
From there, P opened a record store, started a record label, and invested in a range of industries, including clothing, fast food, and sports management.point 129 | point 129 | 1
Although P launched his food products in March, many consumers didn’t really notice until larger brands began retiring and changing their controversial logos months later in response to ongoing Black Lives Matter protests against racial injustice and police brutality.point 483 |
Now, the brand is trying to keep up with the demand from major stores.point 57 | point 57 | 1
“I’m grateful that I’m in a position to add some diversity in packaged foods,” P said. “It’s not just about having the Uncle P products, but also having a good cause behind it. I’m happy that I can make a difference in my communities.”