St. Ursula Academy celebrates Black History Month with soul food lunch

In celebration of Black History Month, St. Ursula Academy Parents of African American Daughters (PAAD) sponsored a soul food lunch for the students and staff during the lunch periods on Feb. 13th. The menu for this annual event included fried chicken, ham, greens, green beans, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, cornbread and a variety of desserts. The cost for a full meal was $5; individual dishes were $1 each; and desserts were 50 cents. PAAD prepared and served the food, and proceeds will benefit the diversity programs at SUA.

St. Ursula Academy Diversity Coordinator Toilynn O’Neal says that this event was a celebration of African American culture and heritage.

“Every ethnic group has what it calls ‘soul food’ - soothing, comfort food that brings back warm memories of family dinners. Today, in America, the term ‘soul food’ simply means African-American cuisine. To fully understand the concept of ‘soul food,’ you must learn the traditional foods of Africa. Many common American foods are indigenous to Africa. Grains, legumes, yams, sorghum, watermelon, pumpkin, okra, and leafy greens could be found as early as 4000 BC on the African continent. We celebrate Black History Month by sharing African American heritage, history and fellowship with the entire SUA family.”
 

St. Ursula Academy is a Catholic, college-preparatory, secondary school for young women.  In 2002 the academy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a Blue Ribbon School. The campus, located at 1339 E. McMillan Street in East Walnut Hills has been the home of St. Ursula Academy and Convent since 1910.