LAKEWOOD, Ohio — Chitra Walker said she's fixing up a family recipe.

“I’m making a dish called lamb biryani,” Walker said.

What You Need To Know

  • The 15th annual Lakewood Diversity Potluck took place at Lakewood Park on June 24

  • Nahida Farunia founded the potluck with Ohio State Senator Nickie Antonio

  • Lakewood's Community Relations Advisory Commission adopted the concept 
  • They encouraged guests to bring a dish, the recipe, and serving utensils to share

Walker said she comes from India and her heritage inspired her to make the festive rice dish for Lakewood’s Diversity Potluck. She said she's known for bringing the dish every year.

“This is the first time we’re having the dish [sic] potluck. But, before that, every year I did,” Walker said.

This year, Walker cooked with her Palestinian neighbor, Nahida Farunia, whom she's known for a while.

“Over 15 years, almost,” Farunia said.

Farunia said she founded the potluck at Garfield Elementary School.

“I was part of the PTA and decided to do a potluck dinner, which is each bring their own dish and [cultural] stuff, clothes, music, food, and bring it to the school and we make it a one night [at] school,” Farunia said.

She said she and Walker became friends as Lakewood’s Community Relations Advisory Commission adopted the potluck concept.

“I took this idea, and I used that, as well, in the Lakewood Community [Relations] Advisory [Commission], and we started in [Ohio State Senator’s] Nickie Antonio's backyard,” Farunia said.

Both Farunia and Walker said they’ve experienced racism living in the area. Walker added that the potluck presents a unique opportunity to help people from different cultures get to know and understand each other. 

“This is a small enough community that we can really get to know each other and, you know, do things like this together,” Walker said.

Farunia said nothing brings people together like food.

“If you eat from my dish, [we] are friends,” Farunia said.

She used a simple analogy to show what an inclusive environment might look like.

Opening her hand, Farunia said, “In the palm of the hand, which is the community, all of us unite together, in one community. If you break or cut one of your fingers, can you use one of the others? No. You're missing something and that's what we are [as] human beings. We have to be together, united.”