HISTORY

Before the Black Codes or Jim Crow Laws that locked Black Americans out of access to everything from housing to jobs, there was another set of codes — the Slave Codes.  These codes banned reading, writing, traveling, working in certain careers, and so much more. They also had strict bans on certain traditions that were carried from West Africa.

“…it is absolutely necessary to the safety of this Province, that all due care be taken to restrain Negroes from using or keeping of drums, which may call together or give sign or notice to one another of their wicked designs and purposes.”
— Slave Code of South Carolina, Article 36 (1740) 

This example of a slave code banned drumming or even having drums because slave owners called it ‘wicked’.

TRADITIONS 

If you go to the 7:15 minute mark of Juneteenth Jubilee, Episode 7 "Holiday" you can watch a video of Louisville’s very own River City Drum Corp performing. They continue the tradition of West African drumming while adding more modern styles. The way they make their drums can be likened to how slaves used to recreate drums they had back in West Africa.

MODERN

Today drums are used in all sorts of ways. There are countless percussion instruments and new ones being created every day. Percussion instruments are anything you strike like drums and keyboards. They can also be anything you shake, like maracas or shekere, or things you scrape, like guiro or casaba. These percussion instruments originated throughout Africa, but today are used around the world, especially in America.

These percussion instruments originated throughout Africa, but today are used around the world, especially in America.

You can visit an HBCU (historically black college or university) campus to experience the liveliness of drumlines.

Click below to view Simmons College's "Stick Control" at the 2018 Daville Classic.

CREATE

You can use almost anything as a percussion instrument. Professor Arthur used pots, pans, and shakers he made of rice in containers. See if you can create your own percussion instrument at home.

QUIZ

Drums are used in almost every musical genre, but which types of groups use them? Example:  We know marching bands use drums, but can you think of other musical groups that feature them?