More than a customer

BY MAY HARTNESS

When Keith Doehring sold Lynn Jones a copy of The Contributor in 2012, the two had no idea their encounter would lead to a lasting friendship.

“I sell at Hamilton Church and Murfreesboro Road. At that time, Lynn was buying papers once a week, and we would talk for a few seconds at the light. One day I wrote her a little letter explaining why I was selling the paper, then she wrote me a letter back explaining why she was in Nashville. We’ve been friends ever since,” Doehring says.

Jones, a long-time resident of New Orleans, La., moved to Nashville soon after Hurricane Katrina struck her community. And although she left Louisiana behind, Jones proudly packed the flavors of her hometown to bring along with her. In fact, one of the topics Jones and Doehring frequently discuss is their mutual love for food and cooking.

“One day Keith asked if he could bring me some zucchini from his garden. I said yes, and he brought me a bag.”

Jones said she wasn’t sure of what to do with a bag of freshly grown zucchini, but when she got back home she immediately began searching for recipes. She settled on a recipe for lemon zucchini bread, and baked extra so Doehring could enjoy it with her.

“Anybody can bake and anybody can cook, but I can taste the love you put into this bread,” was Doehring’s response after tasting Jones’ zucchini bread.

He went on to tell her that she could sell her food at the Nashville Farmers Market, and greatly encouraged her to do so. Although she was hesitant at first, Jones eventually agreed to try.

Now, eight years later, Jones is a well-known vendor at the Richland Park Farmers Market on Charlotte Avenue. She’s known as “The Creole Diva,” and sells foods indigenous to her home in New Orleans. Whether its red beans and rice, jambalaya, dirty rice, or cajun seasonings, The Creole Diva brings Louisiana spice to Nashville.

“Keith was the force behind The Creole Diva. He has been nothing but a blessing to me and my family,” Jones says.

One of Doehring’s favorite memories is spending time with Jones at the farmers market and talking with her customers. To this day, he tells her that she gets the first choice of anything grown in his garden — and the two often trade seeds, plants, and tomatoes with one another.

“Something I’ve learned from Keith is that if you do not judge a book by its cover, you can be blessed,” Jones says. “If you look at the heart of a person and not look at color, you will be richly blessed. I think this whole world is missing out.” As a Black woman and a white man, the two agree that there is value in sharing a friendship with someone different from themselves.

Doehring recognizes that while he and Jones may have different backgrounds, that doesn’t need to stop them from sharing a deep friendship.

“What gives me hope is that people can come together, no matter what,” he says.

Jones and Doehring look forward to continuing their friendship, and even potentially working together one day. Although it’s a dream now, Jones talks excitedly about the idea of opening her own restaurant, and says Keith is more than welcome to work alongside her whenever that dream becomes a reality.