The Uncle Ben's rice brand is getting a new name: Ben's Original.
Mars has said the face was originally modeled after a Chicago maitre d' named Frank Brown. In a short-lived 2007 marketing campaign, the company elevated Uncle Ben to chairman of a rice company.
Dawson said months of conversations with employees, customer studies and other stakeholders led the company to settle on"Ben's Original". She said the company is still deciding on an image to accompany the new name. Mars also announced several other initiatives, including a $2 million investment in culinary scholarships for aspiring Black chefs in partnership with the National Urban League. It also is planning a $2.5 million investment in nutritional and education programs for students in Greenville, Mississippi, the majority African-American city where the rice brand has been produced for more than 40 years.
Mars said it has set a goal of increasing the ranks of racial minorities in U.S. management positions from 20 percent to 40 percent. The company did not give a timeframe for reaching that number.
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