Kellogg may be known for its sweet breakfast cereals, but the art work on the box of Corn Pops has left a bitter taste in the mouths of many.
Novelist Saladin Ahmed called out the company on Twitter when he noticed the only Brown person depicted on the box was a janitor.
hey @KelloggsUS why is literally the only brown corn pop on the whole cereal box the janitor? this is teaching kids racism. pic.twitter.com/Nh7M7IFawW
— Saladin Ahmed (@saladinahmed) October 24, 2017
The Marvel comics writer and fiction author tweeted “Yes it’s a tiny thing, but when you see your kid staring at this over breakfast and realize millions of other kids are doing the same…”
USA Today reports that Kellogg immediately pledged to redesign the box.
“We take feedback very seriously, and it was never our intention to offend anyone,” Kris Charles of Kellogg said to the paper. “We apologize sincerely.”
Kellogg said the artwork has already been updated and the new package will begin to appear on shelves. It did not say it would pull the offensive packages, which means we might be seeing it until it is sold out.
Kellogg directly responded to Ahmed’s tweet.
Kellogg is committed to diversity & inclusion. We did not intend to offend – we apologize. The artwork is updated & will be in stores soon.
— Kellogg’s (@KelloggsUS) October 24, 2017
Ahmed was born in Michigan to Lebanese, Egyptian, Irish and Polish descent, according to Wikipedia
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