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A Recipe for Change

“Sweet potato pie is the ‘sacred dessert’ of Black people, and it has power. Not only does it give us energy, this pie links us to history, it soothes our spirits and renews us for the much- needed work.”

~ Rose McGee

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Rose holding a Sweet Potato Pie
group of volunteers holding sweet potatoes

Our Mission

The mission of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie is to strengthen existing — and nurture new — relationships through the creation and sharing of sweet potato pies. Sweet Potato Comfort Pies are intentionally prepared with love and a commitment to greater understanding, unity and justice.

Sweet Potato Comfort Pies nourish story-sharing; spark conversation and action, and offer comfort, gratitude and solidarity during times of struggle.

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Ingredients of Sweet Potato Comfort Pie:

Community   •   Celebration   •   Conversation   •   Comfort   •   Connection
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Sweet Potato Comfort Pie on PBS

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Origins

Sweet Potato Comfort Pie was founded in 2014 by Rose McGee, in response the events in Ferguson, MO, and a calling to action. This journey led Ms. McGee to learn that through the process of baking with others, delivering the pies, and gathering for reflection, the pies became more than vehicle of comfort food and culture – they were a catalyst for change. Ms. McGee has been forging her own brand of baking activism ever since, responding to the continued crises and racial justice struggles in the united states and beyond. The SPCP organization and Rose continue her work of gathering people for deepened conversation, stronger relationships, and community action. Sweet Potato Comfort Pie’s annual event to honor Dr. Martin Luther King gathers hundreds of people into community each year.

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Community stories

“One morning as I was getting ready for work, I was hit with the devastating news that I needed to submit $300 to my landlord that I didn’t have…[at a] Sweet Potato Comfort Pie planning session, we were asked to go around the circle to share our own story about what brought us there. I shared how I knew that I represented youth who are being racially profiled and being denied access to a host of opportunities. Overwhelmed, I burst into tears. The people in the room were amazingly open and kind. Everyone cried with me. They cared about me and my story. Then, Rose McGee came over with the sweet potato pie that she was planning to give to a dignitary in the room, saying, ‘I’ve decided that you’re the one who needs this pie.’ And I really did. For those who say sweet potato pie can’t change people’s lives, they need to hear my story.”

-Cleveland Darnell Miller, Pie from Rose McGee

“I saw something great when I first met Dr. Carlton Jenkins in his interview for Super-intendent of Robbinsdale Public Schools. Clearly, he was a person who would fight for equality throughout the programs in the District…When I gave him the pie, I could see he was moved, and then he shared his story with me. Our connection has grown since. As a Colombian- born, American-bred woman, I’m proud to call Dr. Jenkins a friend.

“The gift of a Sweet Potato Comfort Pie shaped my DNA,” said Dr. Jenkins. “It was about love and the potential of the community.”

-Andrea Bejarao-Robinson
(community activist and student advocate, Robbinsdale Public Schools),
Pie to Dr. Carlton Jenkins

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Upcoming Events

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in the News

Sweet Potato Comfort Pie: A catalyst for caring and building community

Sweet Potato Comfort Pie: A catalyst for caring and building community

View Story on CBS 8 - San Diego
Food & Beverage Magazine LIVE! Episode 133: Rose McGee

Food & Beverage Magazine LIVE! Episode 133: Rose McGee

View Story on Food & Bev. Magazine
This Woman Gives Sweet Potato Pies To Grieving Communities

This Woman Gives Sweet Potato Pies To Grieving Communities

View Story on Buzzfeed News
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