By Canadian Press

N.L. liquor corp. to change “Old Sam” logo over concerns about racist branding

Jun 29, 2020 | 10:20 AM

ST. JOHN’S, N.L. — The Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. says it will change the logo — but keep the name — of a locally bottled rum brand that appears to depict a laughing Black man.

The Crown corporation says its own research into the 200-year history of Old Sam Rum did not unearth any direct evidence that the image on its labels is rooted in racist stereotypes.

But in a Monday statement announcing the character’s removal from the logo, the agency says it was impossible to reach a definitive conclusion about any links to “negative racial stereotypes.”

The company announced a review of the product this month after a staff member raised concerns, following several other companies making changes to racist depictions of Black people in brands.

The corporation says its “extensive research” found that the person depicted on the label may be the founder of Edward Young & Co., the company that originally owned the brand.

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A description that was removed from the product website on Monday had described the “Old Sam” character as a man who sold rum products along the Demerara River in Guyana in the 1700s.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 29, 2020.

The Canadian Press