Hello, I'm an expert in popular culture and advertising history. Let's delve into the question about Uncle Ben.

Uncle Ben is not a real person; he is a fictional character that was created as a brand icon for the Uncle Ben's brand of parboiled rice. The character was developed in the 1940s by the company's founder, Gordon Harrington, who chose the name and image to convey a sense of quality and trust. The image of Uncle Ben was based on a rice farmer he knew in Texas, named Frank Brown. Over the years, the depiction of Uncle Ben has evolved, and in 2020, the company announced a rebranding effort to modernize the image and remove the visual representation of Uncle Ben, in response to discussions about racial stereotypes and the need for inclusivity.

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According to Mars, Uncle Ben was an African-American rice grower known for the quality of his rice. Gordon L. Harwell, an entrepreneur who had supplied rice to the armed forces in World War II, chose the name Uncle Ben's as a means to expand his marketing efforts to the general public.read more >>