Soul Food (1962)

[Benjamin Zimmer]

On 6/24/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
>
> Andy Smith had asked me a few years ago if I had a "soul food" cite
> pre-1963. The term was used in Harlem, but it may come from Chicago. I  re-checked.
> Chicago's newly digitized Chicago Defender has "soul food" from  1962.

And the New Pittsburgh Courier (available on some versions of
Proquest) has it from 1961.

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New Pittsburgh Courier, Jun 24, 1961, p. 21
"The Grapevine" [Doc ID 540969141]
HOW DIET-CONSCIOUS combo leader Bill Doggett had to decline the
tempting "soul food" dinner popular St. Louis deejay Dave Dixon had
planned for the famous organist, while he was in town for the big show
at Kiel Auditorium. "I dig the 'soul food'." Doggett explained, "but
I'm afraid it doesn't dig me."
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New Pittsburgh Courier, Sep 16, 1961, p. 21
"Izzy Rowe's Notebook" [Doc ID 469381711]
Just when Maude Bell was packing them in at the Shalimar with her soul
food, she became sick and had to be taken to St. Clares Hospital.
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--Ben Zimmer

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