Bake Sales : Social Justice Work in the South

Kelly Spivey

Bake sales have been used as a fundraising tool for over 100 years. Following the presidential election of Donald Trump in 2016, bakers began using their skills and role in the community to raise money for reproductive rights groups. The murder of George Floyd has spurred on bakers’ efforts to support social justice through these bake sales. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced bakers and restaurant owners to navigate their own survival alongside that of their community as they continue to raise funds for social justice work.

This audio documentary explores the role of these bake sales within the U.S. South through the experiences of bakers, restaurant owners, employees, and customers as they navigate their role in the community amidst a global pandemic that threatens their livelihood.

Originally from North Carolina, Kelly Spivey has lived in Savannah, Boston, and New Orleans before settling in her current hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. She holds an M.A. in Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi and a B.F.A. in Photography from SCAD. She is currently pursuing an M.F.A. in Documentary Expression from the University of Mississippi.  Prior to her graduate studies, she worked for over 10 years as a pastry chef in multiple award winning restaurants. Her current research and writing focuses on baking within southern foodways and its intersection with labor, gender, and race in domestic and professional kitchen spaces.