New Orleans civil rights activist and famed chef Leah Chase died at the age of 96.
During the height of Jim Crow and segregation, Chase changed the world by serving great bowls of gumbo and delicious fried chicken. Her meals filled the bellies of presidents, freedom riders and musicians alike. According to CNN, the New Orleans staple died June 1 surrounded by family.
Leah Chase was a legend, an icon and an inspiration. It is impossible to overstate what she meant to our City and to our community. At Dooky Chase’s Restaurant: she made creole cuisine the cultural force that it is today. pic.twitter.com/MSFaNdLvsx
— Mayor LaToya Cantrell (@mayorcantrell) June 2, 2019
The iconic chef had humble beginnings working in the food industry in the 1940s. When she married Edgar "Dooky" Chase Jr., she took over his father's sandwich shop turning it into world-class restaurant Dooky Chase's. Plates of exquisite meals challenged segregation because Black and white customers were often seated next to each other.
"Leah Chase, lovingly referred to as the Queen of Creole Cuisine, was the executive chef and co-owner of the historic and legendary Dooky Chase's Restaurant," her family said in a written statement.
As the owner of the Dooky Chase's Restaurant, she exposed the world to the wonder and splendor of Creole cooking.
"Her daily joy was not simply cooking, but preparing meals to bring people together," the family statement added. "One of her most prized contributions was advocating for the Civil Rights Movement through feeding those on the front lines of the struggle for human dignity. She saw her role and that of Dooky Chase's Restaurant to serve as a vehicle for social change during a difficult time in our country's history."
The restaurant served as a nexus for civil rights activists. At the time, the activists could sit down, eat and plan their next moves without little to no interference.
"Nobody bothered them once they were in here. The police never, ever bothered us here," she said. "So they would meet and they would plan to go out, do what they had to do, come back — all over a bowl of gumbo and some fried chicken."
Eater notes Chase nearly 70-year spanning career inspired the creation of Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog. Among her many accolades, in 2016, she was featured in Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” film and earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the James Beard Foundation.
Her legacy as an entrepreneur, top chef and civil rights icon will live on in the community of Treme and beyond.
