With the serious conversation currently happening around racial discrimination, citizens the world over are looking for ways to support the black community. While some are joining protests and some are supporting black-owned businesses, the professional chefs behind Instagram’s Bakers Against Racism campaign are introducing a new and delicious way to fight racism with a global bake sale.
Bakers Against Racism is the brainchild of some heavy hitters in the Washington, D.C. restaurant industry. Its leaders include Paola Velez, executive pastry chef at the Kith/Kin restaurant and current James Beard Award finalist. She is joined by pastry chef Willa Lou Pelini of Emilie’s, as well as Oyster Oyster and Bagel Bar chef Rob Rubba.
The campaign was announced on June 4 via an official Instagram account, as well as the chefs’ personal accounts.
“CALLING ALL BAKERS, CHEFS, HOME BAKERS & COOKS!!!!!!!!!,” the announcement read. “@bakersagainstracism is a call to action: to fight and stand up against the unjust treatment of BLACK people in the United States. We are armed to fight racism with the tools we know how to utilize, our FOOD.”
The sale, which is open to both professionals and amateurs, will begin on June 15. Participating chefs will take orders via social media. Each chef will then be responsible for coordinating either pick up or delivery of the baked goods through June 20.
What’s On the Menu?
TimeOut reports that a number of bakers worldwide have already pledged to participate, with a variety of pastries and baked goods on offer. Hungry shoppers can get a babka from Jeju’s Bakehouse in the UK, cinammon rolls from the Baker Lady in Long Island, or lemon-crinkle and strawberry-and-almost cookies courtesy of Los Angeles’ Baking with Chickens, to name just a few.
Participants, who pledge to donate the majority of the proceeds to charities supporting black lives, can be found by searching the #BakersAgainstRacism hashtag on Instagram.
“Systematic racial injustice has led to hundreds of lives being taken, needless suffering and grief for families who lost loved ones, kids learning to distrust the government and the gross misallocation of public funds to hurt, harm and harass the very people who fund these institutions,” Diori Medina, a self-taught baker participating in the campaign, told TimeOut. “This is unjustifiable and can’t continue. I want to use my skills as best I can and spread the word. Food is universal, as justice should be.”