The Justice Box
At Via’s Cookies, we’re honoring the story of the woman who inspired me to bake. Rest in power, Aunt Alexis. For two decades, she told me that once she had the ability, she’d open up a bakery. Unfortunately, at age 52, a heart attack claimed her life and dreams along with it.
She was one woman, and when you look at her story, you realize it’s not so far off from the reality of all Black women in the U.S. 70% of Black women in America die from preventable causes.
Let that sink in.
Aunt Alexis’ Life
Education
She grew up as the only daughter out of four kids to a single mother in Youngstown, Ohio. She dropped out of high school and ended up in a constant struggle against the system.
We Deserve Better
She worked several jobs, constantly searched for community, and found herself in situations that hurt her financially, physically, and emotionally. When her second son was 2 years old, she was incarcerated. My mother remembers picking her up from the jail only 10 days later, and my Aunt said she was done. It was time to choose herself.
Honor our bodies
Due to her circumstances; lack of resources and support, she ended up in several abusive relationships. At times, she lived with my family. At 27, she became a single mother to my cousin and bounced between housing programs. She had her second son in her thirties, nearly dying during childbirth.
Heaven Awaits
She fought hard to stabilize her life and found community in faith. She quit smoking, dove into her art -still struggled- but pursued life with a positive outlook. She talked about how she would own a bakery and got married at 47... then tragically died of a heart attack at 52.
We’re done burying our aunts, our sisters, our mothers, and our daughters due to the failed system. We’re done watching each other die due to the lack of research, unjust prison policies, racist doctors, and unfair education. Enough is enough. And we’re done drowning in the capitalist system created to close doors on us, deny us a seat at the table, and talk over us when it’s our turn to speak. This Justice box is created by us and for us. $8 from each box goes directly to furthering the following organizations, and the rest goes into the materials, labor, and the heart of Via’s Cookies, an all BIPOC, woman & non-binary cookie company founded and owned by a Black woman out of poverty.
Pass the $$ forward, eat the cookies, and join us in our fight for life. Don’t worry, you’ll eat good.
Our Organizations
Lengthen Black Women’s Lives
Non-Profit Collaborators
Education ☆ The Gem Project
The Gem Project works to improve high school to college student engagement while supporting on-time graduation rates, through peer mentoring, life-skill workshops, and service-learning initiatives that take on a social justice approach. Since their inception, they have impacted the lives of over 2000 youth and young adults.
Prison Reform ☆ Essie Justice Group
Essie Justice Group is the nation’s leading organization of women with incarcerated loved ones taking on the rampant injustices created by mass incarceration. Their award-winning Healing to Advocacy Program brings women together to heal, build collective power, and drive social change.
Reproductive Health ☆ Mama Glow
Mama Glow is New York’s premiere maternity lifestyle brand committed to supporting women along the childbearing continuum. They support women and families during the fertility period, during pregnancy, after birth and into new motherhood offering a full spectrum approach to holistic wellness. Mama Glow also offers a globally recognized doula immersion program.
Healthy Living ☆ Black Women’s Health Imperative
Their ongoing goal is to lead the effort to solve the most pressing health issues that affect Black women and girls globally. Through investments in evidence-based strategies, they deliver bold new programs and advocate health-promoting policies.