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
Our Mission
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie’s mission is to advance racial justice and equity, heal damage caused by race-based trauma and elevate marginalized voices and experiences.
We achieve our mission in these ways: with the powerful Black cultural food tradition of the sweet potato comfort pie; through story-circles, speaker series, healing retreats and workshops; with original community-based artistic productions; through youth/elder arts mentorship programming; and with additional live events and community-building activities that deepen racial justice work.
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie is a community-building organization that uses food traditions, the arts and other creative forms of culture-sharing to spark human connection, healing and change.
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie on PBS
Origins
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie was founded by Rose McGee in 2014, in response to the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. Ms. McGee loaded her car with sweet potato comfort pies and headed to the scene of the tragedy. Ms. McGee discovered through this journey that the pies were far more than a vehicle of comfort and culture — they were a catalyst for change. Ms. McGee has been forging her own brand of “baketivism” ever since; today the organization has grown to include a wide variety of cultural and creativity-based programs that heal and uplift the African American community and forge alliances with others. Learn more about our free programming, or find out how you can work with us to foster change for your organization, business or event.
#eyesonthepies
in the News
Not just dessert: how sweet potato pie became a tool of Black American resistance
Behind the cultural divide between pumpkin and sweet potato pies
