Senior African drum group honors ancestry through music and movement

CHARLOTTE — All day Saturday, you can enjoy food, music, dancing and more at the 12th annual Charlotte African American Festival.

The Uptown event celebrates the heritage and accomplishments of African Americans.

Channel 9’s Elsa Gillis got a sneak peak at one of the festival’s highlights — the Queen City Senior African Drummers and Dancers.

“We offer God’s heartbeat through the drums, and we try to encourage all that hear us to know that there is a higher power as well as the importance of our culture,” Elisha Minter said.

ALSO READ >> Your704 Weekender: Here’s what’s happening in Charlotte Sept 26-28

Celebrating African American achievements and culture is central to this weekend’s festival and to this group each day of the year.

“We are important,” Minter said. “It’s so important to our children that they know that this that we do has inspired everything that they’re hearing now, the African drums, the beats that we play.”

For these drummers and dancers, music and movement are essential to that.

“We are still giving movement as our ancestors did,” Azalee Williams said.

The women are all over the age of 55. Their oldest member is 97.

“Being seniors, that is an example to the younger generation that it’s not over ‘til it’s over,” Williams said. “And as long as God gives us breath and a talent or a gift. we should use it.”

That talent and passion will be on display this weekend, weaved into every drum beat, song, and dance.

“We need to be seen. We need to be heard,” Minter said. “Our history has a place and a purpose, and it needs to be out there.”

The African American Festival takes place Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Carole Hoefener Center in Uptown Charlotte. It’s free to the community.

VIDEO: Juneteenth celebration honors historically Black corridor in Charlotte