And with that, Velez—alongside fellow D.C. pastry chef Willa Pelini of Emilie’s DC and chef Rub Rubba of Oyster Oyster—had launched Bakers Against Racism. The intention of their virtual worldwide bake sale is to change systemic and structural racism by raising money for charities that support the Black Lives Matter movement. She invites her followers to “JOIN forces with us virtually on all social media platforms launching pre-sales on June 15th and pickups on the 20th to stand up to injustice. We are asking for national participation!” Her call was heard, shared, and reposted. Less than a week later, over 2,400 bakers—including those from 42 states, over 170 U.S. cities, and 15 countries—have committed to joining the movement. The hashtag #bakersagainstracism has garnered over 840 posts (think hundreds of beautiful loaves of bread, trays of brownies, and even one batch of Berry, Pistachio, & Chocolate Rocher Meringue Cookies, all aimed at social justice.) The idea for campaign was conceived when Pelini asked Velez if she could sell a dessert at Doña Dona, her Dominican doughnut pop-up shot, and then donate the proceeds to Black Lives Matter. The pair joined forces, and Bakers Against Racism was the result. The bake sale kicks off at 2 p.m. Eastern time on June 15, when the participating pastry chefs will begin accepting orders for baked goods on social media. Each participant is then responsible for coordinating their own socially distant pickups or deliveries through June 20. Velez will be selling a passionfruit strawberry buckle, a piña colada cake from Kith/Kin pastry sous chef DeAndra Bailey, and a banana bread loaf from head baker Nikkie Rodriguez. (Talk about motivation.) Joining is easy, and the sale is open to everyone—baking novices and professionals alike. Simply make (a lot of) a dessert to sell, then donate the majority of your proceeds to a charity that supports black lives. The campaign recommends baking 150 desserts at $8 a piece, yielding a $1,200 donation, but whatever bakers can contribute will be welcomed. “Your small contribution can create BIG and lasting change,” Velez says. For more information, or how to obtain graphics, documents, and resources for your bake sale, email them at bakersagainstracism@gmail.com.
