ABOUT
DRUMS UP GUNS DOWN
OUR MISSION
The mission of Drums Up Guns Down is to curb the cycle of gun violence in our communities by using drums and dance as tools for students to express themselves and heal from past traumas.
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OUR VISION
Young people nationwide have access to safe, quality cultural and social-emotional programming and connections with trusted adults.​​
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Drums Up Guns Down is a transformative violence prevention program designed for youth and young adults. We're on a mission to empower through the lively medium of traditional drumming — blending history, culture, and personal growth. The program exposes students to the art of West African Drum and Dance.
Our programming is led by individuals with over 40 years of combined experience in the art of West African Drum and Dance. Participants immerse themselves in the study, experience, and performance of traditional drum rhythms, learning about their rich history and cultural significance. And our communities support them - we uplift our students through mentorship, training, volunteering, listening, sponsorship, and more.
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​Through the process of learning cultural arts, participants will experience meaningful social-emotional healing. Our program will also support student growth, their ability to express themselves, develop effective communication and problem- solving skills, and learn to work with others in a positive environment.
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Program Completion Rewards
Upon completing the four-week program, students will receive:
- Their own drum kit
- Access to a dedicated mobile app
- Year-round support from instructors and program mentors
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KNOXVILLE
PROGRAMMING
​Traditional drumming has always been a tool to help people deal with anger issues, frustration, and pain resulting from trauma. Drums Up Guns Down founder Obayana Ajanaku saw an opportunity to create a program to introduce workable alternatives to violence for youth and young adults.
He believes that through the process of learning to drum, participants will not only experience emotional healing, but will be able to express themselves, develop effective communication and problem-solving skills, and learn to work with others in a positive environment.
Foundational Drums Up Guns Down 865 programming: ​​
RHYTHM
& DRUM
PROGRAM
Drums Up Guns Down instructors partner with after-school and other youth-serving organizations to provide programming throughout the year when school is not in session. In these small group sessions, students learn the basics of West African drum and dance.
Students also participate in social-emotional learning activities to help heal past trauma. Drums Up Guns Down also hosts weekly community dance classes!
Kuumba Kamp is a 7-week summer program located at Vine Middle School. Students ages 5 -12 will have the opportunity to be creative, and learn a skill within the arts, as well as the opportunity to present what they’ve learned to the community.
Students also learn healthy problem-solving strategies, and useful social-emotional coping skills through drum and dance, and together create effective ways to communicate with one another.
PEACE IN THE STREETS
RALLY
The annual Peace in the Street March was organized shortly after the killing of the sixth Austin East High School student during a wave of violence in East Knoxville in 2021. Inspired by the marches of the Civil Rights era, this student-led and community-focused event seeks to promote peace and the end of gun violence. Students march from Austin East High School to Walter Hardy Park. Community members and organizations are invited to attend and participate.
KUUMBA FESTIVAL
EVENT
Kuumba Festival is the largest cultural heritage and music festival in East Tennessee that celebrates African Culture in Diaspora! The Kuumba Festival was started in 1989 by local Knoxville artists and community activists looking to showcase local African American art and artists sharing, educating, and exposing rich cultural art forms to the Knoxville community.
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Kuumba Festival hosts local and regional music acts, host vendors, and provide students an opportunity to showcase the hard work they have put in during Kuumba Kamp.
100%
IMPACTED BY
VIOLENCE
THE IMPACT
100% of student participants served by Drums Up Guns Down programming said they were directly impacted by gun violence within the last year.
46%
DISCIPLINE REFERRALS DECREASED
Students enrolled in Drums Up Guns Down saw a 46% decrease in disciplinary infractions.
FROM OUR COMMUNITY
Chase (D.U.G.D. Member)
Drums Up Guns Down helps me channel my
stress, anger, and anxiety into something I
love. If I'm not feeling well - I drum. It helps
my mood a lot. Drumming for our dancers
makes me feel like I'm supporting our
dancers by providing a rhythm for them to
dance to. When it all comes together, it's
magical!
Yolanda (D.U.G.D. Parent)
Since joining Drums Up Guns Down, I have seen an improvement in my son's behavior. He enjoys practicing and performing with his "brothers" and this has encouraged him to go down a better path than he was previously on.
THE HISTORY
Founder Obayana Ajanaku
"The drum has been an outlet for me in many ways - to serve, to release, to be free... "
Drums Up, Guns Down was originally designed to break the cycle of gun violence in communities based in Knoxville, Tennessee. The program was founded by Obayana Ajanaku in response to the tragic deaths of three students from Austin-East Magnet High School, who were killed by gunfire within a three-week period. One of the victims was a student of Mr. Ajanaku.
One afternoon, in the wake of these tragedies, Ajanaku observed the best friend of one of the deceased students playing the drums alone, pouring all his emotions into the rhythm. This poignant moment inspired the creation of Drums Up, Guns Down.
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Minoritized youth, whether in East Knoxville or our community here in Atlanta, often face limited opportunities to engage in positive, life-enhancing activities. The Drums Up, Guns Down program aims to fill this gap, providing enriching experiences that help prevent youth from becoming either perpetrators or victims of gun violence.
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ABOUT OBAYANA AJANAKU:
Since the age of six, Obayana Ajanaku has been studying the Djembe orchestra, a series of rope-tuned, skin-covered goblet drums played with bare hands, originally from West Africa. He continues to research the Djembe and other traditional disciplines of African percussion worldwide. By the age of twelve, Ajanaku began performing internationally and has since been featured on stages in Russia, Brazil, and Africa, as well as throughout the United States. He has accompanied and performed with dance companies of various genres from ballet to tap to African dance.
Ajanaku is currently the West African drum instructor at Austin-East Magnet High and Vine Middle Magnet Schools, in Knoxville, Tennessee. He is also the founder of Indigenous Vibes edutainment group. His passion is working with young people, encouraging them to be the best version of themselves. He also works with youth on how to use their drums as a method to address emotional and mental issues that they may be experiencing. His calling is to use his drumming, teaching, and performing skills to bring together people of all cultures, races, and genders.
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OUR SPONSORS
JOIN THE CIRCLE
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