Woke History: Welcome To Ben's

Delmarva Public Media | By Joshua K. Wright, Ph.D.

Published February 18, 2022 at 3:03 PM EST

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Ben's Chili Bowl was founded in 1958, by the late Ben Ali, a Trinidadian-born immigrant who had studied dentistry at nearby Howard University, and his fiancée, Virginia-born Virginia Rollins. At the time, U Street was known as "Black Broadway". Many jazz greats of the day, such as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, and Nat King Cole, would stop by the restaurant when they performed at U Street clubs.

Mrs. Virginia Ali, the co-founder of the Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington, DC., joins Dr. Joshua K. Wright to discuss the restaurant's remarkable legacy and place in the history, culture, and cuisine of our nation’s capital.