▁or ally ▁passing ▁their ▁stories ▁and ▁reci pes ▁down , ▁g um bo ▁came ▁to ▁represent ▁their ▁truly ▁commun al ▁d ish . ▁G um bo ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁" an ▁in vention ▁of ▁ens la ved ▁Afr icans ▁and ▁African ▁Americans " ▁in ▁Louisiana . ▁By ▁mixing ▁and ▁cook ing ▁le f to ver ▁ing red ients ▁from ▁their ▁White ▁own ers ▁( o ften ▁less ▁des irable ▁cut s ▁of ▁me ats ▁and ▁veget ables ) ▁all ▁together ▁into ▁a ▁d ish ▁that ▁has ▁consist ency ▁between ▁ste w ▁and ▁soup , ▁African ▁Americans ▁took ▁the ▁det est able ▁and ▁created ▁it ▁into ▁a ▁des irable ▁d ish . ▁Through ▁sharing ▁of ▁this ▁food ▁in ▁churches ▁with ▁a ▁gather ing ▁of ▁their ▁people , ▁they ▁not ▁only ▁shared ▁the ▁food , ▁but ▁also ▁experience , ▁feelings , ▁attachment , ▁and ▁sense ▁of ▁unity ▁that ▁brings ▁the ▁community ▁together . ▁ ▁The ▁cultiv ation ▁and ▁use ▁of ▁many ▁agricult ural ▁products ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁such ▁as ▁y ams , ▁pe an uts , ▁rice , ▁ok ra , ▁s org hum , ▁ind igo ▁d yes , ▁and ▁cot ton , ▁can ▁be ▁trac ed ▁to ▁African ▁influ ences . ▁African - American ▁food s ▁reflect ▁cre ative ▁responses ▁to ▁ra cial ▁and ▁economic ▁opp ression ▁and ▁pover ty . ▁Under ▁sla very , ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁eat ▁better ▁cut s ▁of ▁meat , ▁and ▁after ▁em an cip ation ▁many ▁were ▁often ▁too ▁poor ▁to