Lena Richard, a revered African-American chef, broke racial and economic barriers to build a culinary empire in New Orleans uring the Jim Crow era She became the first Black woman to host her own television cooking show titled “Lena Richard’s New Orleans Cook Book”.

At a time when racial stereotypes engulfed the food industry right in the heart of the Jim Crow South, Lena Richard who seems to be largely forgotten today was able to reshape the public understanding of New Orleans’ cuisine by showcasing and celebrating the black roots of Creole cooking.

The following year, the publishing company formally issued Richard’s collection under the title New Orleans Cook Book, which is now regarded as the first Creole cookbook written by an African American.

According to Young, Richard dedicated herself to writing down and recording generations of African American cooking traditions in New Orleans.

In a bid to educate young African Americans with the culinary and hospitality skills needed for employment in the Jim Crow South, in 1937 Richard opened her cooking school.