She volunteered to perform at Cascade Skating Rink and then went to the Underground. Miss Sweet Potato Pie ( Dianne Snowden-Johnson,) gets the children to dance while reading books to kindergartners at School 16.ĭuring the school day, she’s Dianne Snowden-Johnson, a teacher in the City School District.īut on weekends and evenings, she’s better known a Miss Sweet Potato Pie, her beloved character that's a fan-favorite from Rochester to other parts of the country and the world.Ībout 18 years ago, she was in Atlanta for the first time, performing as Miss Sweet Potato Pie. "When I finish, I should not even be able to talk," she said. The event was about thanking the Atlanta community for their continued support of the Metro Fun Center, but the moment she walked in, Miss Sweet Potato Pie, a Rochesterian, stole the show.īecause she only had an hour to work the event, Miss Sweet Potato Pie knew she had to make it count. There, a little girl stopped her to compliment her on her outfit. She corrected him -Miss Sweet Potato Pie is an "edutainer" - and continued to security. In the parking lot, a man stopped her to ask if she was a magician. Then, quickly, she left the building to get her mascot out of the car. She put out her signs, her business cards and her various goodies, encouraging children to get her follower count up. "When you leave, I want you to follow me on TikTok and YouTube." "My name is Miss Sweet Potato Pie," she said in between posing with children. Miss Sweet Potato Pie's response was more or less the same each time. Another obstacle that didn’t stop her.Īs she made her way through the building, children asked for pictures or wanted to know more about her. Because of the delay in her arrival, the best spots had already been snatched up. Miss Sweet Potato Pie walked into the venue, stopping every few feet to greet new fans. For Miss Sweet Potato Pie, it was disappointing, for sure, but it didn’t stop her hustle. Those people would have given up and skipped the event altogether. For some, being several hours late - even though it was to no fault of her own - would have been a deterrent. She continues the autumnal color theme throughout her costume: she wears a glittery golden jacket with a satin brown bow, an orange bodysuit and, on this occasion, yellow high tops.īorn while watching an episode of Oprah in which the media icon encouraged viewers to find and follow their dreams, Miss Sweet Potato Pie has entertained and educated children using an Afro-centric lens for decades.īecause of a delayed flight, she is late to the Metro Fun Center. Miss Sweet Potato Pie wears her hair in two large afro puffs on each side of her head with an orange and yellow top hat on her crown. Some kids play in the arcade, others play on the massive labyrinth of a jumpy house - but all, children and adults alike, turn when Miss Sweet Potato Pie walks into the room. Families and community members have gathered for the Metro Fun Center's 8th Annual Appreciation Day. The Fun Center is a respite for whatever they have going on outside those large doors. Only then do you realize how large the interior of the building is - and navigating it, too, is a task.Ĭhildren are everywhere on this mid-October day, laughing, playing. Assuming nothing is detected, you’re able to enter. Getting inside the Metro Fun Center in Atlanta's Sylvan Hills neighborhood is itself a task: first, you walk through the winding line that leads to a metal detector.
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