Easter Does Not Mean To Me

After my 2004 Easter Project It Could Easily Have Been Me the 2005 Easter Project shed light on my Easter experiences, over the years. And, in 2006, I expressed that Easter does not mean to me, a black man, what it means to my white counterpart.

Nor does 4 July, Halloween or most holidays.

After my 2006 Easter Saturday and Sunday photo walks I began my Easter Monday 2006 photo walk by first passing through Lafayette Park to capture families en route to the White House Easter Egg Roll before heading down to the Emancipation Day Rally in Freedom Plaza.

Wanting to capture The African American Family Easter Celebration at the National Zoo, in the process of rushing to the Metro Center WMATA Station I happened upon this lady who I've seen many times at various protests.

Mentioning that I had just left the Emancipation Day Rally and was rushing to the National Zoo I inquired if she woulkd like for me to assist her to the Emancipation Day Rally. She said yes.

On the way down she asked where was I from. I told her that I grew up in Southern Maryland, attended the University of Maryland, worked for several years with the federal government in WDC and NYC. And that since the mid 80's I had worked in WDC's high end catering industry.

Saying that she was from Harlem she asked further what part of NYC had I lived in.

I said that I lived there in the 80's in the Chelsea, Gramercy Park and Greenwich Village areas.

She looked at me and said, "O' please ... unless you lived in Harlem or Brooklyn ... you ain't black!".