Can’t join a protest? Bakers Against Racism invites you to eat treats for the cause

Bakers Against Racism Olympia, a group of local eateries and bakers with ties to the food industry, is participating in an international bake sale happening Saturday, June 20.

Among the available goodies are tahini rose pistachio cookies from The Filling Station Espresso, German chocolate sauerkraut cake from Swing Wine Bar, and whiskey doughnut bread pudding from Dillinger’s Cocktails & Kitchen. And as at any good bake sale, there’ll be cupcakes aplenty, and gluten-free treats, too.

The socially distanced sale will be held at The Lucky Lunchbox on Capitol Way in Olympia.

Many items can be pre-ordered online and picked up at the Lunchbox, while others will be available only the day of the sale, happening from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Organized by Lunchbox and Swing owner Nicole Butigan, the sale is a benefit for Media Island International, which supports women of color in leadership and works with activist groups.

The international event was started by pastry chefs in Washington, D.C., to raise money for Black Lives Matter. The event, according to the organizers, is aimed at working for “radical change against systemic and structural racism.”

Butigan decided to organize a local event after she saw a Facebook post about the Bakers Against Racism.

“A lot of times people will say, ‘Don’t just like or reshare posts; do something,’ ” Butigan told The Olympian. “A bartender friend of mine posted about the national event, and that’s how I saw it, and I thought, ‘That would be cool. I could do something in Olympia.’ ”

She got an enthusiastic response when she asked for participation.

“A lot of us are just sitting at home, and we want to do something,” she said. “There are a lot of people who can’t go out and protest, and this is a way for them to participate, and it’s nonviolent. It’s a bake sale. It’s very Olympia.”

Among the graphics distributed by the organizers is a recipe for “Anti-Racist Cake,” with ingredients including “1 cup understand the definition of racist,” “½ cup stop saying ‘I’m not racist’ ” and “1 pound champion antiracist ideas and policies.” The instructions: “Combine all ingredients. Apply them to your daily life.”

Sales are happening in more than 170 U.S. cities in 42 states and in 14 other countries, with each sale benefiting a local organization working for racial justice, according to a June 10 Instagram post by the organizers, who have had so many inquiries about participation that they’re sending only automated replies.

“If you have a special skill or special talent, that can also be used as a force of change,” Willa Pelini, a pastry chef and one of the founders, said in a June 5 article about the event in The Washingtonian. “Everybody has a role to play, and you can use what you’re good at to push forward the cause.”

Bakers Against Racism

• What: Local eateries and individual bakers are teaming up to raise money for Media Island International, which supports women of color in leadership and works with activist groups.
• When: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, June 20
• Where: The Lucky Lunchbox, 2826 Capitol Way S., Olympia
• More information and pre-orders: http://theluckylunchbox.com/bakesale