University of New Orleans professor and New Orleans historian Michael Mizell-Nelson died this week at the age of 49. Nelson was an avid scholar of the history of the city — especially the history of po-boy sandwiches, race relations in New Orleans, and how it all tied in with the history of the streetcar.
WWNO’s Poppy Tooker says she had the pleasure of spending time with Nelson during the taping of show segments for Louisiana Eats.
"People need to be aware that it was Michael who originally championed the poor boy preservation society," Tooker says. "It was Michael who was the driving force behind the Poor Boy Festival that the entire city loved so much. He knew so much delicious history about poor boy sandwiches and about streetcars, another one of his incredible passions... Michael had a way of tying the streetcar into everything."
A memorial service will be held at UNO on a date still to be announced.
To hear more from Michael Mizell-Nelson on Louisiana Eats!: