Soledad O’Brien Instagram – Repost from jamieleecurtis
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PROUD OF MY ‘FIRST’ FRIEND @catcora @pbs @soledadobrien
Who is celebrating the breaking glass ceilings while being orphaned and then adopted from Mississippi.
She was the FIRST female Iron Chef, breaking one of the biggest gender barriers in culinary television. The first culinary completion show.
FIRST female chef inducted into the Culinary Hall of Fame
One of the FIRST women to work in three-star Michelin kitchens in France – worked in two
Graduated with honors from the
Culinary Institute of America when it was only 5% women
Earned a degree in nutrition and physiology prior to attending CIA, bringing science and wellness into cuisine long before it was mainstream
Founder and pioneering of the first ever chef-driven humanitarian organization, Chefs for Humanity, mobilizing chefs globally for hunger relief and disaster response
Creator of the Women’s Empowerment Culinary Internship Program, providing mentorship, training, and career pathways for women in the culinary industry
Recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award from President Barack Obama
Recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award from President Barack Obama
Written 3 cookbooks, a children’s book, and an Oprah best selling memoir
Globally recognized chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality
Ambassador and partner in Little Kitchen Academy, the first of its kind, Montessori-style Cooking School for kids 3-19 paying it forward in a global way to the next generations
Has opened over 20 restaurants worldwideÂ
Pioneered the Food Network and Culinary TV
She is in the permanent exhibit of the MAX Museum called Kitchen Table
She and @therealruthecarter @mistyonpointe @soniammanzano @marinalsop.conductor #jaquelinewoodson are ALL being profiled in an upcoming PBS documentary, She Was First, chronicling groundbreaking life and legacies! | Posted on 20/Mar/2026 05:03:18
