George Crum, Inventor of the Potato Chip (1824-1914)

George Speck was a renowned African American chef who worked at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, New York during the mid-1800s. A customer frequently forgot Speck's given surname so he asked waiters to relay messages to ‘Crum’ and this is what he now known by. According to culinary legend, he invented the potato chip during his work at the restaurant when a customer kept sending back the french fries because they were too thick. So he sliced a batch of potatoes paper-thin, frying them to a crisp, and seasoning them with lots of salt. It was a hit and how Saratoga Chips was born!

Alfred L. Cralle (1866-1919)

Alfred was an African-American businessman and inventor of the "Ice Cream Mold and Disher". While living in Pittsburgh he worked at a drug store and a hotel and noticed that servers at the hotel had trouble with ice cream sticking to serving spoons. This is when he developed his invention. He was awarded patent 576,395 on 2 February 1897. He later become a general manager for the Afro-American Financial, Accumulating, Merchandise and Business association.

Leah Chase, Queen of Creole Cuisine (1923-2019)

Leah was a chef based in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as an author and television personality. She advocated both African-American art and Creole cooking. Her restaurant, Dooky Chase, was known as a gathering place during the 1960s among many who participated in the Civil Rights Movement. Chase was the recipient of a multitude of awards and honors and received honorary degrees from Tulane University, Dillard University, Our Lady of Holy Cross College to name a few. The Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana named a permanent gallery in Chase's honor in 2009.