Note: In no way is the post meant to offend, it’s just something that I noticed today at breakfast.
This morning, I was pouring Aunt Jemima syrup on my breakfast pancakes, when I thought about how Aunt Jemima syrup no longer comes in Aunt Jemima shaped bottles. I wondered if this was due to the link between Aunt Jemima and the idea of “a black woman who is perceived as obsequiously servile or acting in, or protective of, the interests of whites”, so I flipped the bottle over to see what image conscious company produces Aunt Jemima. What did I find? Quaker Oatmeal makes Aunt Jemima. Quaker Oatmeal, a company with a white Quaker for a logo, owns Aunt Jemima, a product with a black Aunt Jemima for a logo. It’s funny how the world works sometimes.