Our Mission

In 1996, Afia Walking Tree founded Spirit Drumz, a Bay Area Drum Sanctuary & Institute for cultural activism, empowerment and leadership. Utilizing drumz of the African Diaspora as essential tools for healing and liberation, Spirit Drumz fosters empowerment and activism through the creative, expressive, performance arts and earth-based spirituality.

Our visual-expressive-performance-language arts, drumming, leadership programs and strategic planning support the artistic development of youth and women in schools (K-12), universities, and organizations nationwide! Our goal for individuals to liberate and heal beginning with self from global oppression and victimhood through drumming, expressive arts, education, transformative leadership and cultural competency is expansive and effective.

Afia Walking Tree serves as visionary, executive director, administrator, lead facilitator, and musical director of the organization.

Drum Sanctuary and School Herstory

In 2001, Spirit Drumz opened its first drum school, The Underground Drum Sanctuary, to celebrate the chivalry of women, youth and men worldwide from many cultures, who mobilized to create a cooperative system of freedom from enslavement that functioned on the margins of mainstream culture. The drum sanctuary as a concept, commemorates and re-awakens the lineage of lost cultures and traditions through the ancient practice of drumming, dancing, chanting, and sound powah affirmations.

The principles of the Drum Sanctuary and School, inspire individuals of all cultures and experiences to affirm, remember and reclaim their voices and lineages, and to envision a liberated world. Spirit Drumz grooms women and girls to carry on the lineage of the African drumz as master drummers, a rare profession that will birth the next wave of healers and leaders. In 2000, Afia Walking Tree released her first solo CD, Soul Affirmationz, a collection of "grass-roots-drumpowahment" rhythms, highlighting Walking Tree's dexterity as a world-class percussionist, vocalist and performer!

Our Services

Our services to individuals, schools (K - University), organizations, corporations and private groups, have been rated comprehensive, inter-generational, multi-ethnic, culturally appropriate, audience participatory, enlivening and inspiring. Spirit Drumz’ Components include:

♦ African Diasporic Drum and Dance	♦ Performances
♦ School Assemblies	♦ Cross Cultural Training	♦ Arts Education Consultation
♦ Shamonic Drum Journeys & Ceremonies	♦ Life Path Rites & Coaching
♦ Motivational Keynote Addresses	♦ Community Activism

Our Associates

Spirit Drumz associates function in many capacities as Community Leaders, Activists, Facilitators, Consultants, Strategists, Drum Warriors and Amazons, Priestesses, Council, Guardians, and Gatekeepers. Associates are skilled professionals who share Spirit Drumz' vision for a Re-Aligned Harmonic and liberated world. Our creativity, passion, integrity, and diverse make-up is dynamic and accessible to many lifestyles, spiritual paths, skill levels, learning styles and drum medicines.

We offer the best of our leadership to those we serve and represent many communities. We have a long-standing herstory of collaborations with several progressive cultural arts organizations, artistians, sponsors, allies, and benefactors, including the following. Please review our clients page for a more detailed list of our work internationally.

Health Adventures Visioning and Education Network (Our Fiscal Sponsor)
Vanguard Foundation
City of Oakland Cultural Arts Department of Cultural Funding
Sistahs Steppin in Pride
Women Drummers International
Oakland Public Conservatory of Music
Jennifer Berezan
Krissy Keifer and Dance Brigade
California Institute of Integral Studies
Fore-Fote
Rainbow Grocery
Nia Collective