Historic Recipes

Historic Recipies

Carlita Harbert

Having arrived here from Los Angeles in 1954, Carita Harbert was a fixture in Las Vegas civic life for decades before she passed away in 2007 at the age of 96. One of the first African-American dancers to perform in vaudeville, Harbert went on to work at the Economic Opportunity Board of Clark County and, alongside Dr. Charles I. West, helped establish Las Vegas’ first black newspaper. When she wasn’t making history, she could often be found making meals; and one of her favorite sources for ideas in the kitchen came from recipes printed in the liberal Las Vegas Sun newspaper, owned by the legendary Hank Greenspun. This Thanksgiving, courtesy of Las Vegas Sun publisher Brian Greenspun, we share some of the historic recipes that inspired her.