Jemima

After 131 years, Quaker Oats said it is retiring the Aunt Jemima name from its pancake mixes and syrup along with the image of a smiling African American woman.

The picture of Aunt Jemima on the pancake box has evolved over the years from an overweight, kerchief-headed woman to a slim, modern woman.

He had also seven sons and three daughters. And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren.

-- and at last Jemima was fixed upon, because it would do either for a Scripture name or for a heroine out of a book." "I did not know Jemima was a Scripture name," said Ruth. "Oh yes, it is. One of Job's daughters; Jemima, Kezia, and Keren-Happuch. There are a good many Jemimas in the world, and some Kezias, but I never heard of a Keren-Happuch; and yet we know just as much of one as of another. People really like a pretty name, whether Scripture or out of it."

But then, thought Kiki, they were brought up that way, these white American boys: I'm the Aunt Jemima on the cookie boxes of their childhoods, the pair of thick ankles Tom and Jerry played around. Of course they find me funny.

Fancy southern names which she couldn't remember five minutes after they'd told her. Camilla? Amelia? Jemima? It didn't matter. Ashworth would have made a note of them.