[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 20 (Thursday, February 5, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H838]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                LEAH CHASE, THE QUEEN OF CREOLE CUISINE

  (Mr. RICHMOND asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RICHMOND. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the spirit of Black 
History Month to honor Leah Chase, also known as the ``Queen of Creole 
Cuisine,'' a renowned chef, author, and a civil rights icon in New 
Orleans.
  As executive chef at her historic restaurant, Dooky Chase's, she has 
served luminaries such as Duke Ellington, Thurgood Marshall, President 
George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, among countless others.
  In 1946, she married local musician Edgar ``Dooky'' Chase, Jr., whose 
family owned a small street corner stand.
  At a time when New Orleans was starkly divided by segregation, Dooky 
Chase's Restaurant was one of the few places where groups of mixed 
races could gather publicly. As a result, the restaurant became a 
central hub for leaders of the civil rights movement to meet and 
discuss strategy.
  Of course these types of gatherings were highly illegal, but due to 
the immense popularity of Dooky Chase's, there would have been a public 
uproar had law enforcement interrupted business. Leah took full 
advantage of this and hosted Black voter registration campaigns, NAACP 
meetings, and countless other gatherings, and fed them well.
  To this day, people from across the world are blessed by Mrs. Chase's 
warmth, hospitality, and, of course, her cooking. She has received 
countless awards, has been immortalized in song by Ray Charles, and 
inspired Disney's first African American princess, but she remains 
rooted in her ministry and committed to service.
  This month, Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor some of the people who have 
paved the way for my generation and some of the people whose shoulders 
I stand on. So today, I congratulate and commemorate Leah Chase.

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