A local author’s new cookbook aims to inspire activism through food designed for community organizing and social justice.

“The Revolution Will Be Well Fed,” written by Corrie Locke-Hardy, features 50 recipes that are made for community activism — snacks and treats that can be distributed easily, multiplied easily, and eaten quickly, if necessary.

As Locke-Hardy writes: “We can’t be our best selves and change the world if we’re not nourished in body, mind, and soul.”

Though the book is Locke-Hardy’s first, she’s no stranger to the book world; Locke-Hardy works at High Five Books, a children’s bookstore and art-making space in Florence. Locke-Hardy, who lives in Plainfield and uses she/they pronouns, also runs the Instagram account @thetinyactivists, which spotlights books for young people with social justice themes and has more than 35,000 followers. They also offer consulting and professional development for educators.

A former teacher and restaurant industry professional with a focus on pastry and bread, Locke-Hardy said they were inspired to write the book because they wanted to promote “the ethos of community over capitalism.”

“I wanted something that brought together what I cared most about, and that is social justice and snacks. Nobody turns down free baked goods.”

The cookbook’s name is a play on Gil Scott-Heron’s 1970 Black Liberation song, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.”

Locke-Hardy said they think the song carries “an important message to remember that we can’t necessarily trust what the media is saying about a particular narrative, whether it’s lost to history or intentionally suppressed and misleading. And I liked the idea of adding in my own ethos, because I believe that any revolution takes place in a person’s head, heart, and stomach.”

The book is as much a cookbook as it is a book about civil rights, history and justice; it includes guides to living an antiracist lifestyle and making one’s kitchen and community organizing disability-friendly, plus a nuanced look at how to consider sustainability and social justice when shopping for food.

Many of the recipes have alliterative or punny names inspired by activism — for example, “Collective Action Coffee Cake,” “Picket Line Pocket Pies,” “Biscotti Boycotti,” “Granola Bars Not Prison Bars,” and “Fight the Pão-er de Queijo.” (The message behind an almond cake recipe’s name — Almond Cakes Are Best — is more subtle, but look at its acronym.) Giving the recipes lighthearted names, Locke-Hardy said, “lets people know that social justice is serious, but it’s not that serious — we can have fun with it. Joy is such an inherent, intrinsic part of any movement.”

Headnotes before certain recipes discuss concepts like sit-ins, restorative justice, and strike notices; longer sections include a guide to useful kitchen tools and histories of important movements and figures in activist history. The beginning of the “Breakfast” chapter outlines the Black Panther Party’s Free Breakfast for School Children Program, plus biographies of Black activists like Georgia Gilmore, a cook who helped raise funds for the Montgomery Bus Boycott with bake sales. Gilmore’s story particularly resonates with Locke-Hardy, who considers Gilmore a personal hero, because it shows that activism goes beyond the stereotypical image of a person marching down a street with a sign.

“Social movements are successful because everybody brings and does whatever their own unique [self] has, and that’s how things get done. Georgia Gilmore was successful because she figured out what she was good at, and she could figure out a network of other folks who were also good at the same thing,” Locke-Hardy said. “People don’t actually have to change themselves and what they like and are intrinsically good at in order to join a movement [and] make a difference.”

The cookbook’s launch party at Florence Civic Center next Tuesday, Sept. 17, from 2 to 7 p.m., will likewise include community impact: the Northampton chapter of the League of Women Voters will be on-site as part of National Voter Registration Day, and about 15 local artist vendors will showcase their works. Stone Soup Cafe will also provide free desserts.

With the event — aptly titled “Feed the Movement” — Locke-Hardy wanted to create a “community celebration” that would show attendees that people in the Pioneer Valley are already doing the kind of work her book spotlights.

“There are many ways to embody an actively antiracist lifestyle while working for equity and justice every day. But sometimes, at the end of the day, you just need to commiserate with your besties — eating nothing but cookies for dinner, even if snacking and laughing leave you with a stomach ache,” they wrote. “Either way, community is key.”

After a two-year book publishing process, Locke-Hardy is ready to share their book with the world.

“People with jobs, kids, debt, pets, and average lives create real change,” they write. “If coming together feels daunting, you can start by asking one simple question. Who wants breakfast?”

“The Revolution Will Be Well Fed,” by Corrie Locke-Hardy and with photos by Manuela Insixiengmay, comes out on Tuesday, Sept. 17, and is available for pre-order for $30 through highfivebooks.com. Customers who pre-order the book will receive a free bag of tea from Community Care Apothecary, whose owner, Reede Haroian LaRose, has a guest essay in the book about honoring their ancestors.

Carolyn Brown can be reached at cbrown@gazettenet.com.