Lena Richard

(1892-1950)

Lena Richard was an phenomenal chef born in New Orleans during the early 20th century who learned how to cook as a domestic worker during her early teen years. In her late teens the family she worked for paid for her to go to Fannie Farmer’s Cooking School in Boston. A few years after graduating from culinary school, Lena opened a home-based catering business which quickly expanded. 

In the late 1930s she opened a cooking school and would teach private cooking classes around New Orleans with her daughter Marie Richard Rhodes. 

The 1940s were a big decade for Richard because she published her first book New Orleans Cookbook; opened two restaurants, Lena’s Eatery and Lena Richard’s Gumbo House; and became the first black woman to have a cooking show (and possibly the first black person and first woman)! Her show would air on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Louisiana’s local NBC network WDSU.   

While these many accomplishments were great for Lena Richard, they were also amazing in that they laid the groundwork for Black women who are triple threats in food (e.g. food service, authors, and visual media) today.

Learn more about her at the links below and check out some of my favorite women in media below!