Minneapolis has had the world’s eyes upon it in recent weeks due to the murder of George Floyd and the resulting movement fighting for reform. It has been a tough period of time for many in the city, as well as the rest of the world, but one of its citizens is looking to bring smiles and “comfort” to people there with the help of sweet potato pie.
Rose McGee of Sweet Potato Comfort Pies is distributing her famous pies to members of the community with the help of volunteers. At a memorial site for George Floyd, McGee is handing out boxes of her signature sweet potato pies, each packaged with a poem written by McGee’s daughter, Roslyn Harmon.
Part of the poem reads, “Remember to eat, pray and love as you partake in making a difference, for there is much to be proud of.”
McGee founded Sweet Potato Comfort Pies in response to the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. in 2014. Her grief over the event motivated her to travel over 500 miles to Ferguson to deliver dozens of sweet potato pies to help in the healing process.
“I sat in my living room, watching the news and I saw the hopelessness on the faces of the people there,” McGee tells The Huffington Post. “I knew that I needed to do something. Right then, the Lord spoke to me: ‘Get up and bake some pies and take them down there.’”
Since that time, she has continued her mission throughout the country, providing comfort to those in need during times of tragedy.
“Sweet potato pie is the ‘sacred dessert’ of Black people and it has power,” McGee says. “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.”