Date of Award
1-1-2021
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A. in Southern Studies
First Advisor
John Rash
Second Advisor
Catarina Passidomo
Third Advisor
Andy Harper
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Bake sales have recently come to the forefront of our consciousness as a method of fundraising for social justice but the practice’s history reaches back to the 18th century. A readily available tool for women, baking was put to work to raise money for voting rights in the early 20th century. Less than fifty years later, bake sales appeared as a key fundraising tool for the civil rights movement. The reappearance of bake sales today stems from several factors, including the presidential election of Donald Trump in 2016, the appearance of COVID-19 in the United States in early 2020, and the murder of George Floyd in May 2020. The audio documentary produced in conjunction with this research gives a voice to the bakers who have participated in these fundraisers, all of whom are in the U.S. South. This thesis will contextualize these 21st century bake sales within the historical counterparts of the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements while also looking at the role of social media and digital activism. By placing bake sales in a larger context, it becomes clear that their success lies not in the money accrued, but in the connections that are made.
Recommended Citation
Spivey, Kelly E., "The Bake Sale: Fundraising and Social Justice in the 21st Century" (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2137.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2137
Comments
The Bake Sale Thesis Cut.mp3.zip