Many of the Africans brought to Louisiana during the colonial period came from the Senegambia area of West Africa. Those brought to America were selected largely for their agricultural and technological knowledge and skills. Slavery did not destroy all elements of African culture or the legacy of African survivors and their descendants. In Louisiana, for example, the word 'gumbo' derives from 'gombo,' which comes from the African Congo word 'ngumbo,' meaning okra.