Unity and community at the center of Saturday's Poindexter Village Drum Circle
At the center of Poindexter Village, the historical housing quarter was filled with the reverberating sounds of African drums and the harmonic voices of community members who came together for Saturday's drum circle.
In partnership with the James Preston Poindexter Foundation and Ohio History Connection, elder drummers, past residents and community leaders shared stories, songs and dances around the Poindexter Legacy Tree to celebrate the rich history of the site.
Since its opening in 1940, Poindexter Village, named after the Rev. James Poindexter, a minister and civil rights activist, has long been recognized as the heart of the Black community and a source for shared unity.
And programs like the Poindexter Village Drum Circle, Project Manager Shelbi Harris-Roseboro said, ensure that kinship remains an integral part of the community, even with the past year affected by COVID-19.
"Everybody's feeling like they miss their community, and this is the first time we can come together again," she said. "And with us being masked up and distanced, we can come out and enjoy this community. This is ultimately what it's about."
And with Poindexter Village's official mark as a State of Ohio Historic Site, the drum circle was an ideal event for a celebration. Saturday's itinerary also featured a drum call-and-response, artists, food vendors, puppet storytellers and drum-making craft tables.
Attendee Lethichia Banks, 38, said more events like these need to take place, as it encourages the support and linkage between members of the Black community.
"We need to have this on a regular basis, whether it's indoors or outdoors," the Reynoldsburg resident said. "This helps create the opportunity to get to know each other, to interact and network and to continue to encourage each other on their entrepreneurial endeavors."
Tom Dillard, president of the James Preston Poindexter Foundation, said the Poindexter Village Drum Circle also serves as an opportunity to educate younger generations about the historical context surrounding the area, which is recognized as one of the country's first housing projects.
With understanding this history, Dillard said it will maintain and continue building a system of values among younger residents.
"The purpose is to bring the community together to recognize and honor our ancestors upon whose shoulders we stand," he said. "It's like talking to your great-grandmother and grandfather again."
As a historian, Charles Wash, director of the National Afro American Museum and Cultural Center, said his goal is to ensure every resident understands the significance of sites like Poindexter Village and works to preserve its history.
Wash said this comes with melding younger and older generations together so this historical context is transferred between the two groups to ensure the history of Poindexter Village remains intact.
"That's my motivation," Wash said. "One thing I noticed over the years is oftentimes we either talk over people or at them instead of to them. It's like we've ignored them in a sense. The gatekeepers of the culture are older and have their own language, and I think programs like this can speak to everybody."
North Columbus resident Natalie James, 44, said people need to be more intentional about attending programs centered on African American tradition.
"I think we as a people, we have to want to come out and support and want to learn about our history," she said. "It's going to impact generations. Knowledge is power and if you don't know about your history you're likely to repeat it."
While there have been two drum circle events in the past, Harris-Roseboro said this event will become an annual one. And going forward, she and others will continue developing activities along the same vein, with both unity and community as the focus.