We interrupt your regularly scheduled poi program to bring you a special bulletin:

So, I still haven't lived in DC terribly long...only a little over two years. But in that time, one thing that I have participated in religiously is the drum circle at the park in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of DC. The signs all read "Meridian Hill", but everyone I know calls it "Malcolm X Park." I have never played a drum there, but I go for the vibe, to hang out with my neighbors, to meet new people, and to just enjoy the only place in DC that seems to have a handle on that all important word: "community."

Like most of DC, Mt. Pleasant is still sketchy at night. There are shootings. There are turf wars. There are muggings. It's par for the course. Unlike most areas of DC, however, Mt. Pleasant has this crazy event that comes together every Sunday where everyone, regardless of occupation, race, age, or any other variable, turns out to enjoy the weather and the drum circle together. People who would normally avoid looking at each other as they walk down the street let their kids play together, acroyogis, soccer players, and of course jugglers and object manipulators appear as if from nowhere to practice and meet. I've met some of my favorite local spinners in this park and whenever I have a guest in town over a Sunday it's always number one on the list of places to go.

So why would anyone want to shut it down?

Mt. Pleasant may have a bit of a checkered past, but it's now in the process of gentrification as is a good portion of NW DC. Luxury condos have gone up neighboring the park and some of the residents have started to complain about the noise on Sundays...I shit you not. Rather than come out and meet their neighbors, they've started calling the cops on the gathering and the cops are enforcing arbitrary rules for assembly and noise on the gathering and demanding we apply for a monthly permit for the event.

This is pretty damned ironic being as how no one person organizes the thing and nobody makes any money off of it. The crowd is different every week--this was a flash mob before flash mobs existed.

So what to do? Well, some friends of mine have started up a Facebook group of people hoping to save this treasured event and we're trying to get people to sign up. Our goal is to get DC's mayor, Adrian Fenty, to come down to the park and see the event for himself. We are gonna keep showing up and making it happen until he does. If he sees with his own eyes what this event means to the people who live in this neighborhood, we're confident we can get a waiver on the permitting requirements. If not, we step it up a notch.

Even if you don't live in DC, but think community events bringing people together and breaking down cultural barriers kick ass, show your solidarity by joining the group. It gives us ammo with the press and gets us a step closer to making sure this drum circle--which has been active for over twenty years--remains here for our kids to enjoy. To join click on the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106695586025122

Thanks all,

Drex