Malcolm X Park Drum Circle Oral Histories

Every Sunday for the last 50 years, a group of drummers and dancers has congregated at Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park in northwest DC to embody Afro-diasporic culture, pride, and joy in music and motion. From its founding in the late 1960s until a relaxation of the rules in the 1990s, the Malcolm X Park Drum Circle was open only to Black men. Interested participants had to demonstrate their musical capacity and were often only welcomed upon invitation.

In recent years, membership has become more diverse. For some members, this liberalization has diluted the Drum Circle’s power and meaning, as newer participants are unfamiliar with traditional rhythmic, timbral, historical, and instrumental conventions that bind the gathering together. The oral histories shared below, conducted with several established members of the circle, immerse listeners in the culture and history of the Malcolm X Park Drum Circle.

Interviews by Make A Scene Media.