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Percussion Perfection at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival 2012

Drumlines have traditionally played a big role in the African-American community of Memphis. Not only were such groups part of junior high and high school band programs, but they were also sponsored by community centers, drill teams and majorette organizations. Similar African-American drumlines can be found in other cities around the country, suggesting that the popularity of percussion bands in Black communities is not unique to Memphis. At least one theory about this activity is that the use of western drums and the association of them with patriotic or military functions or school and community functions allowed African-Americans in the South to continue African cultural practices that would have otherwise been suppressed. The drumline known as Percussion Perfection is a group of young men from various Memphis neighborhoods, but, unlike most drumlines, they are not sponsored by any school, church or community center. They appear unexpectedly in public spaces and events in Memphis, playing for tips from their listeners. Their unexpected appearance at the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival was especially appropriate, as their drum cadences and intricate dance moves are a fundamental part of the Memphis heritage. 

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MIAA Football: Westwood at BTW, Memphis

Memphis’ Booker T. Washington Stadium is arguably the second-oldest in the city after Crump Stadium, behind Central High School, although the latter has had a complete renovation in recent years. Much has changed in the surrounding neighborhood, including the demolition of Cleaborn Homes and Foote Homes, but crowds still turn out to support the Booker T. Washington Warriors, the oldest Black high school in Memphis. This year, BTW seems to have a decent marching band, with a first-rate drumline. Westwood, on the other hand, is a pathetic shadow of its former life, when, in the 80’s and early 90’s, it used to march over a hundred band members. Open enrollment, and outmigration from the neighborhood have devastated it. Still, the Longhorns have a small marching band that seems well-trained and which might become the foundation of a rebuilding. Only time will tell. 

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Classic Cars at Juneteenth, Douglass Park, Memphis, 2012

Juneteenth commemorates the effective date of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas, where planters apparently attempted to defy it (in the remainder of the South, the proclamation took effect on May 8). What is unclear is why the Texas “Juneteenth” has become the day of celebration for African-Americans nationwide, replacing the “Ada May” celebrations that used to be held in the rest of the south. In Memphis, Juneteenth is held in Douglass Park as a three-day festival of music, food, dance and wholesome activities for children. This year there was also a classic car show in Douglass Park. 6/16/12

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