Gibson’s V. Oberlin: How An Elite Woke College Nearly Destroyed A Family-Owned Bakery

Gibson’s Bakery has been a staple of the city of Oberlin, Ohio, since 1885. A family-owned small business, the bakery serves the city’s population of more than 8,000 residents, half of whom either attend or work for nearby Oberlin College, a small and highly selective liberal arts college.

For decades, Oberlin and Gibson’s lived in harmony, with the college contracting the bakery to provide goods and services for students while those who attended and worked at the school frequented the small business.