Norman Baker Exchanging Cakes For Civil Rights Donations

Following days of protests across Oklahoma, many people are wondering how they can help fight racial inequality.

One professional Norman baker is using the tools around her to help make a difference.

Daniela Cooper is delivering pastries to people who send her a receipt of their donation to the ACLU, Black Lives Matter bail fund and Project Zero.

“This ultimately isn't about me,” she said.

Cooper was hesitant to talk about her cakes for donations project, because she didn’t want the story about her, but instead the everyday fights for equality in the African American community.

 “Ultimately what I was seeing after the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor was people calling for you to reflect and just do what you could,” she said. 

Cooper said what she could do was bake cakes, pies and cookies.

“I think it's really important to do what you can yourself, without asking black individuals because they already have a lot that they're dealing with, a lot that they're fighting,” Cooper said. “They don't need on top of all of the injustice, white people asking them over and over again ‘what can I do to help.’”

She said she went back and forth on the cake pastry idea.

“I saw an Instagram post that basically said you shouldn't get a cookie for not being racist,” Cooper said.

She decided as long as people were giving, whatever their intentions may be – even if just for a pastry, good would come from it and maybe they would continue giving.

“This may seem like a really happy light story,” she said. “But ultimately the reason I’m raising money is because we have systemic issues in the United States, even beyond police brutality.”