(MADISON) — Madison East High School students cooked up a historic gumbo dish and shared it with district leaders recently, WMTV reports.

The class has been learning about the civil rights leader behind the dish, Leah Chase, and her restaurant, Dooky Chase.

Emily Sonnemann, the culinary teacher at East, told the TV station Chase “built a legacy at that restaurant of building bridges and having positive conversations for change over a bowl of gumbo.”

Madison Metropolitan School District Superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins said sharing a meal was a good way to start difficult conversations.

“Let’s put on a table some of the recent issues that we’ve been talking about,” said Jenkins. “But then also talk about how we can make it better as a community and co-create a space where everyone knows that teaching and learning is at our forefront along with safety.”

Read more about the event and watch the video at the TV station’s website.