Easter Monday at the National Zoo
By Kimberly Ellis
Visitors on Easter Monday, 1936, National Zoo. Source: NMAAHC
In 2017, students in Dr. Dianna Hall’s 12th-grade U.S. Government and African American History classes at Phelps ACE High School (DCPS) explored the historical and cultural significance of the Monday after the Easter holiday, known colloquially as Easter Monday, to Black Washingtonians. Inspired by students who questioned their attendance at school on Easter Monday, Hall created a unique lesson designed to develop students’ understanding of the importance of the holiday, particularly to D.C.'s African American community.
Students began research on Easter Monday by learning about the Black Washingtonian tradition of families gathering at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Students read various news excerpts, primarily from local news sources. They discovered this beloved tradition originated due to racism. According to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, in 1878, the White House hosted its inaugural Easter Egg Roll; however, African Americans were not allowed to attend. Local Black families decided to join together and cultivate their own traditions and in 1891 began gathering at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo on Easter Monday. Over time, attending the National Zoo on Easter Monday became popular; in 1919, 55,000 African Americans attended festivities at the National Zoo. This was when Black soldiers were returning from WWI and facing racist attacks, leading up to the Red Summer riots on July 19. Though attendance has waned in recent years due to various reasons, including safety concerns and desegregation, this tradition has endured.
Hall’s students were astonished by their findings. Galvanized by their research, students in Hall’s classes involved in the Student Government Association (SGA) organized a school-wide walk-out and rally to bring attention to the lack of recognition of Easter Monday on DCPS’ academic calendar. Additionally, students circulated a letter to the school board, mayor, and council members requesting acknowledgement of Easter Monday on the DCPS calendar as a formal holiday. Hall and her students hoped to see not only changes on the DCPS calendar, but also integration of this important history into the elementary social studies curriculum.
Though their efforts have not seen this holiday recognized yet, students learned about a unique tradition, and more broadly about a legacy of Black resistance. Most importantly, students had opportunities to express, and advocate for, their desires. Hall reflected fondly on this lesson as “the pinnacle of my teaching career because students took steps to make changes. Students developed a voice around their history and a tradition they wanted to celebrate and pass along.”
Kimberly Ellis, an Education Anew Fellow with Teaching for Change and Communities for Just Schools Fund, interviewed Dr. Dianna Hall for this story in the fall of 2021. Read more of her stories.