The pleasures of New Orleans food are often attributed to the high standards and culinary skills of the French colonists. However, a closer look reveals that all the peoples of New Orleans have made significant contributions, perhaps none more so than the west African residents. Join us for a talk about the origins of New Orleans food, its cultural significance, and its current state. Lolis Eric Elie is a New Orleans born, Los Angeles based writer and filmmaker. His television credits include work on “Bosch,” “The Chi,” "The Man in the High Castle," "Greenleaf" and the HBO series "Treme." Working with the award-winning director Dawn Logsdon, he co- produced and wrote the PBS documentary, Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans. He is the co-author of Rodney Scott’s World of Barbecue: Every Day’s a Good Day, from Clarkson-Potter. His essay, “America’s Greatest Hits,” is included in Best African American Essays: 2009. Co-sponsored by the Center for Folklore Studies and the Department of Comparative Studies. This is event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served. For Credit: Take a picture of yourself at the event and send a short reflection to apo.leadership.ai@gmail.com talking about the event and what you learned/took away from it.