Every Sunday afternoon, drum beats can be heard echoing throughout Meridian Hill Park, called Malcolm X Park by locals, in northwest Washington.
The park’s weekly drum circle began during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, stemming from a memorial service held in 1965 for the late Muslim minister and civil rights activist Malcolm X’s. The circle has continued for almost 60 years since.
Musicians, dancers and people from all walks of life join together in or near the circle. People in the park laughed with one another and onlookers spoke with musicians, learning each other’s names and stories. The group serves as a place of community for new and old participants.
The size and performance of the circle varies from week to week. This photo essay aims to encapsulate a Sunday at the Malcolm X Park Drum Circle.
