Sweet Potato Comfort Pie Marks 11th MLK Holiday of Service With Food, Unity, and Care
Sweet Potato Comfort Pie hosted its 11th annual MLK Holiday of Service in Golden Valley, bringing together community members for food, reflection, awards, and acts of care rooted in Dr. King’s vision of the Beloved Community.
As snow fell outside, warmth and purpose filled the Country Club at Golden Valley as Sweet Potato Comfort Pie (SPCP) held its 11th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday of Service over the weekend. Volunteers, students, community members, and award recipients gathered to the rhythms of Soul Drum Academy, with each table set with sweet potato pie and surrounded by a photo exhibit reflecting community, care, and connection.
Founded in 2014 by Rose McGee, Sweet Potato Comfort Pie has grown into a community-building nonprofit rooted in comfort, dignity, and collective responsibility. McGee described SPCP as “a catalyst for building and caring for the community,” noting that its work is grounded in bringing people together through intentional acts of care.
This year’s gathering carried added significance, marking the 40th anniversary of the national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Ninety-seven pies were baked and shared, symbolizing the age King would have turned this year. McGee emphasized that while the pies themselves hold meaning, the deeper power comes from unity, describing how people gathering in shared purpose creates something greater than any single act.
The sweet potato pie remains central to SPCP’s mission and to the MLK Holiday of Service because of its cultural meaning within the African American community. Board chair Niila Hebert reflected on the pie as a symbol of love, home, and resilience, representing generations of labor, care, and sanctuary found in family kitchens. Through baking and gifting pies, SPCP demonstrates its commitment to Dr. King’s vision of the beloved community, affirming shared struggle and shared joy.
The afternoon unfolded with a range of performances and reflections. Golden Valley Mayor Rosyln Harmon opened the program with a moment of silence for Renee Good and others lost to injustice, acknowledging that while the gathering was celebratory, the work of civil rights and justice remains ongoing. Following a land acknowledgment recognizing Dakota land, saxophonist Jerome Richardson performed the Black national anthem, setting the tone for an afternoon that included spoken word, music, dance, awards, and community dialogue.
In addition to the pie served at each table, every group received a second pie to collectively decide who in the community should receive it. Conversations unfolded among neighbors meeting for the first time and those reconnecting, with attendees choosing to gift their pie to someone in the room or take it back to their neighborhood as an act of care.
Several recognitions were presented throughout the program. The City of Golden Valley’s MLK Contest winners were announced, including five-year-old Malikai Goens and Nelson Queitzsch for artwork, and siblings Steven, Rita, and Owen Ruzicka for poetry. Each student’s work reflected King’s values of courage, compassion, and justice.
The Batter That Matters Award honored individuals and organizations who embody service as a way of life. This year’s recipients included Tamuriel Grace as Education Influencer, Jackie Trotter and Annie Anderson as Legacy Educators, Jawad Towns Jr. as Youth in Action, King Arthur Baking Company for Baking a Difference, and Angela Davis as Voice with Impact. SPCP project manager Ashlee Deleon noted that these honorees exemplify how intentional care and commitment shape communities, describing them as steady leaders who understand that transformation happens when purpose and compassion come together.
The Upholding Our Beloved Community Award recognized Anthony Galloway, Omar McMillan, the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, Shirley Purvis, the City of Golden Valley, Normandale Lutheran Church, the University of Minnesota Liberal Arts Engagement Hub, and Westopolis. Deleon reflected that the beloved community is not an abstract idea, but something actively built through relationships, accountability, and love in action. The award honors those who live that vision daily by bridging divides and nurturing connection.
For Hebert, the day extended beyond remembrance. The gathering, she said, was about mutuality, connection, and relationship building. By coming together, participants broke down walls and built bridges, embodying the very principles Dr. King called communities to live out.
