Golden Valley’s Sweet Potato Comfort Pie Org. Plans to Honor Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are several events planned in Golden Valley to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sweet Potato Comfort Pie founder Rose McGee says they’ve had to be creative to create a COVID-19 friendly event.

“It’s intended to be uplifting and inspiring because we know that people are going through so much right now. Trauma, people in pain. We have a lot of healing to do,” said McGee, who founded Sweet Potato Comfort Pies eight years ago. “Please, be safe. Find a way to find comfort within yourself. Meditation, if that’s it. Prayer if that’s it. Spending more quality time with family. Whatever you can do to keep yourself calm because are all in this thing together and panicking won’t help, so whatever we can do, ….and having a slice of sweet potato pie just might help that.”

You can have a piece of pie as part of the eighth annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Weekend of Service.

A program will be co-hosted by the Sweet Potato Comfort Pie of Golden Valley and the Breck School. It will be held virtually on Sunday, January 16, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

This year, volunteers will be baking 93 Sweet Potato Pies, which are symbolic of the age that Dr. King would have been. Students and other participants will then hand the pies off to community heroes and people in the community who are in need of comfort and recognition.

Participants will also be able to see a photo display at Breck School called “Character Values: Upholding Our Beloved Community.” The exhibit features 16 intergenerational and culturally diverse Minnesotans who embody character traits essential to a just and thriving community. Portraits include Attorney General Keith Ellison; social justice activist, and relative of Emmett Till, Deborah Watts; American Indian Movement co-founder Clyde Bellecourt; and others.

Other events include:

Sunday, January 16, 2:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Zoom event featuring DJ Freesia Towle, the procession of pies, facilitated story circles to discuss issues of race in America and talk about who the 93 pies will be gifted to. The 2022 “Batter That Matters Award” recipients are: Mother/Daughter activists Jewelean Jackson and Thandisizwe Jackson-Nisan, Kate Towle and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. A special story circle dialogue with Alice White, Golden Valley Police Commander; Angela Rose Myers Morales, former President of the NAACP, Minneapolis Branch; Roslyn Harmon, Executive Director of the Dispute Resolution Center in St. Paul; and students from Breck, Roosevelt and Osseo High Schools. You can learn more here.

Sunday, January 16, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sweet Potato Comfort Pie pickup at Breck School in Golden Valley. Pies will be picked up for gifting to honorees. 

Saturday, January 15, – Monday, January 17

“Character Values: Upholding Our Beloved Community” photo exhibit on display at Breck School. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this is available only to registered event participants. 

Sweet Potato Comfort Pies says this event is made possible by Lunds & Byerlys Golden Valley, King Arthur Baking in Vermont, The City of Golden Valley Diversity and Equity Commission, and over 100 volunteers.

Golden Valley