Tributes have poured in for Leah Chase, a New Orleans chef who played a leading role in the Civil Rights movement, and who died last week. As some sources noted, Catholicism played a crucial role in her life.
Born in 1923, Chase and her husband, Dooky, set up a restaurant that became famous for its Creole cuisine – a style which blends American influences with those of Europe, Haiti, West Africa and others. The Dooky Chase restaurant became one of the major hubs for Civil Rights activists. Political meetings were held there, and because of the popularity of Chase’s food the police didn’t dare intervene.
