Ice Cream Bars Formerly Known as ‘Eskimo Pies’ Are Now ‘Edy’s Pies’

The brand is one of several to change its name after confronting its racist connotations

In June, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream announced that the Eskimo Pie, a chocolate-coated ice cream bar, would soon have a new name, as “Eskimo” has long been considered a derogatory catch-all term used by non-natives to describe populations of the arctic region. As a company spokesperson then said to the New York Times, “We are committed to being a part of the solution on racial equality, and recognize the term is inappropriate. This move is part of a larger review to ensure our company and brands reflect our people values.”

On October 2, the ice cream manufacturer revealed that the product will now be called an “Edy’s Pie,” to honor its inventor, Joseph Edy. Also gone from the branding is the caricature of an arctic child in a fur-collared coat.

Dreyer’s is one of many companies to change names and branding this year amid a larger public reckoning about racism in America, sparked by the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Minn. Land O’ Lakes and Cream of Wheat both announced that they’d no longer be using their racially insensitive mascots, while Aunt Jemima syrup and Uncle Ben’s rice are — similarly to the Edy’s Pies — changing names and mascots both.

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