Sweet Home Pie Social
LOCATE A PEACE THROUGH PIE SOCIAL NEAR YOU
Pie: delectable pastry or vehicle for social change?
Why can’t it be both?
That’s Luanne Stovall‘s dream. Luanne is an artist and founder of Peace Through Pie, a movement inspired by the dreams of another: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Peace Through Pie is rekindling the pie social to help further his work, and invites all of us to the table to share conversation and community around this flaky pastry.
The idea of using pies and pie socials as vehicles for conversation and change evolved organically, Luanne told me. After hearing Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on MLK Day 1995, Luanne said she felt compelled to do something to not just honor the day, but to also engage in difficult discussions — “courageous conversations” — about the racial divide that still existed then, and even now.
“So I went into the kitchen and baked a buttermilk pie.” After all, it was a holiday, and every holiday demands a special comestible as the centerpiece of the celebration.
When it cooled, she piped in red icing the words: “I Have a Dream.” Next, she invited friends to her home for conversation, community, sparking wine, coffee and “Peace Pie”. “All pies are peace pies if the intent it there.”
Pies are universal; the typical round shape symbolizes inclusiveness. Pies are seasonal, regional, and as diverse as the people who make them and enjoy them. Place a “Peace Pie” in the center of the table and they spark conversations among strangers — turning them into friends, one slice at a time.
Peace Through Pie‘s Luanne Stovall says the organization encourages everyone to compile community cookbooks around pie recipes and the stories from the pie-makers. They also have a program called Pie-o-neers for Peace, that they take to schools and youth groups; it’s designed in concert with the Anti Defamation League’s No Place for Hate initiative.
Luanne mentioned that everyone who feels called to do so, is encouraged to bake a pie, host a pie social, and sign the Pie-o-Neer Pledge, which invites people to “share their piece of the pie on the new frontier of peace and to do what we can to help one another.”
All that and pie, too.
PEACE THROUGH PIE SOCIALS 2015
CHURCHES
7th Annual Sweet Home Peace Through Pie Social
Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, 1725 W. 11th Street, Austin, TX!
Saturday, January 17, 1:30 – 4:30 pm
7th Annual PTP Social, cornerstone of the grassroots peace movement as1st location in the country to host a Peace Through Pie Social. Bring favorite pies for the pie auction and pie sharing! Auction proceeds help restore the143 year-old church located in historic Clarksville. Music by Bells of Joy gospel band; reading of the I Have a Dream speech by Pastor Steve Manning; audio assistance donated by Art Institute of Austin audio students; pie serving by Austin High Culinary Arts students; peace art exhibition in Fellowship Hall by Mathews Elementary students; Ice cream donated by Blue Bell.
Go Crew! Peace Through Pie Social
Faith4Life Church, 1000 McNeil Rd, Round Rock, TX
Monday, January 19, 1:00pm – 3:00 pm
2nd Annual Pie Contest & Pie Sharing; Music by area choirs and Unity in Community Conversation with local pastors & community leaders, including Round Rock police chief and mayor, Evan Black, Faith4Life Church; Dante Wright, Sweet Home Baptist Church; Keith Ferguson, Cityview Bible Church; Benito Fresquez, Freedom Church;
Richard Neusch, True Life Church. Calling all bakers — bring your favorite kind of “peace pie” to share! Bring contest pies no later than 12:30 pm.
2nd MLK Bahá’í Peace Through Pie Social
Bahá’í Faith of Austin, 2215 E. M. Franklin Avenue, Austin, TX
Sunday, January 25, 10 am – 12:30 pm
In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.ʼs birthday , the Austin Bahaʼi community offers a special adult Sunday school class program open to everyone from 11 to 12; preceded by a devotional program beginning at 10:30. Please join us as we honor the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who gave his life to improve civil rights and human rights for all those downtrodden and oppressed Peace Through Pie Founder, Luanne Stovall, will join us to discuss the nonprofit organization was created to honor Dr. Kingʼs vision. Bring your favorite kind of savory or sweet “peace pie” & pie story to share!
SCHOOLS
Lamar Middle School Peace Day & Peace Through Pie Social
Lamar Middle School, 6201 Wynona Ave, Austin, TX
Wednesday, January 14, Peace Day (all day); PTP Social 6 pm – 7pm
Peace Day: Everyone is encouraged to wear tie-dye clothing and “increase the peace” on campus by doing random acts of kindness and offering extra help to others. As PEACE Day approaches, students are encouraged to participate and listen to the morning announcements to hear quotes by inspirational people of peace. Our PEACE Day continues from 6 to 7 p.m. with a pie social for our community – with performances by wonderful Lamar students! We invite you to come and celebrate together and enjoy a piece of pie. If you want to bring a pie–from your cultural tradition, a favorite family recipe, sweet or savory or pizza pie — you may drop it off in the cafeteria any time
after school on Wed., Jan. 14th).
Mathews Elementary Peace Through Pie Social
Mathews Elementary School, 906 W Lynn, Austin, TX
Friday, January 16, 7:30 am- 8:15 am, Pizza Pie lunch in the cafeteria
Mathews is the 1st Elementary school in the country to take part in Peace Through Pie, creating peace poster art for the annual Sweet Home Peace Through Pie Social. At the morning assembly, Mathews Elementary students will take part in their No Place For Hate program celebrating Dr. Kingʼs legacy of community peace-making with music and by taking the Pie-o-neer Pledge. Guest speakers: Luanne Stovall, Founder, Peace Through Pie; Pastor Steve Manning, Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church, the historic church in Clarksville who hosted the 1st Peace Through Pie Social for the 2009 MLK Holiday. Students continue celebrating by sharing pizza pie in the cafeteria.
4th Annual Travis Peace Through Pie Social
William B. Travis High School cafeteria, 1211 E Oltorf, Austin, TX
Friday, January 16, 9:30 M – 3:15 pm
Travis HS is 1st high school in the country to host a Peace Through Pie Social (MLK 2012) becoming the first pie-o-neers leaders!Culinary Arts students from Travis hosted John B. Connally Culinary Art students and shared their personal “peace pie” recipes. This year, Chef Jason Osborneʼs Culinary Arts students and Leni Gillespieʼs Lifetime Nutrition and Wellness students are preparing all types of pie to promote peace.Four classes will be chosen to participate during each block. Each blockʼs social will begin 15 minutes after the start of the block and end 15 minutes prior. PIE EATING CONTEST!!!! There will be a pie eating contest held during 2nd and 4th blocks. There will be a max of 10 students competing during each block. Prizes TBA!!!
John B. Connally Culinary Arts Peace Through Pie Social
John B. Connally High School, Culinary Arts Classroom
13212 N Lamar, Austin, TX
January 10 – January 16: Class Activities
John B. Connally High School Culinary Arts students, led by Chef Mike Erickson, are spending three days preparing the Peace Pies in class to learning the art of pie making with the culmination being Friday in all classes they celebrate Martin Luther King Day by hosting a Pie Social to talk about Dr. Kingʼs legacy and the Pflugerville ISD No Place For Hate initiative. Students will sign the Pie-o-neers for Peace Pledge, No Place For Hate Resolution of Respect, and celebrate the diversity of our school and community.
Sanchez Elementary Peace Through Pie Social Sanchez Elementary School, 73 San Marcos Street, Austin, TX
Pease Elementary Peace Through Pie Social
Peace Elementary School, 1106 Rio Grande, Austin, TX
Enemy Pie will be read to students in every grade level, K-6. On 1/4 slices of paper plates every child will write, “Peace begins with me. I can ________________to bring peace to others. They can decorate their pie to be a pizza slice, apple pie, blueberry pie, or whatever pie of their choice. Pie slices will be displayed in each hallway.
2nd Annual Manor High School Peace Through Pie Social Manor High School
Culinary Arts Dining Room, 12700 Gregg Manor, Manor, TX
Tuesday, January 20, 12 pm – 1:30 pm
Culinary Arts students host their 2nd Annual MLK Peace Through Pie Social honoring Dr. Kingʼs legacy of peace-making and serving their favorite “peace pie recipe to guests.
Leander High School Peace Through Pie Social
Leander High School Cafeteria, 3301 S Bagdad Rd, Leander, TX
Wednesday, January 21, 5 pm – 7 pm
Join us at the 2nd MLK Peace Through Pie Social in Leander, with student leadership by Leander High School and Leander Middle School C2 Club students. The social features art, music, delicious pies of all kinds, and more, with guest speaker Luanne Stovall, founder of Peace Through Pie.
COMMUNITY GARDENS
Festival Beach Food Forest Fund Raiser & Peace Through Pie Social
Festival Beach Community Garden
Saturday, January 31, TIME TBA
Stay tuned for details about this fundraiser and Peace Through Pie Social, with a Pie Walk/ Dance, Auction Pie Showcase, Silent Auction, local bands, great food, and more!