Slayton Thompson Marches to Beat of His Own Drums

CEDAR RAPIDS - When Slayton Thompson was 4 or 5 years old, he imitated his father by beating on the floor with sticks. And he's never stopped, whether it's playing the drums, beating the bushes for Democratic causes or emphasizing the difference between right and wrong through his church, Bethel AME in Cedar Rapids.

"Wherever you look there's a Slayton Thompson footprint," says Ruth White, founder and executive director of The Academy for Scholastic and Personal Success which is honoring Slayton on Thursday.

"The organization is about teaching African American students to take responsibility for their own education," she adds. "At the fundraiser we try to find someone who has upheld that ideal for young people of color."

Slayton, 64, (above, in 2008 after a trip to Africa) may be best known for founding the All-City Drum Corps along with his wife, Linda, in 1990. The drum corps offers children a free summer activity, teaching them responsibility and confidence. Its appearances include Presidential Inaugural Parades in 1997 and 2005.

The drum corps' success not only reflects Slayton's life, but epitomizes his desire to help others, especially youngsters who need it. He retired last year from the Cedar Rapids schools as a liaison for homeless students.

Born in Rockford, Ill., on Feb. 12 (Abraham Lincoln's birthday) as a twin (brother, Stanley), Slayton's family was financially poor but rich when it came to understanding concepts and using common sense. Still, he struggled in his youth.

"The drums were something I liked," he says. "It was a way for me to overcome, uh, I was remedial. But, not really."

In elementary school, Slayton says he attended class with a "Retarded" sign above the door.

"What they thought as hyper, my mom thought was talent." He laughs. "You know, drumming all the time, humming, singing."

In high school he played in Rockford's all black Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps and won the Illinois State Championship Percussion Contest. He founded an intercity student council to foster cooperation among black and white students. And he worked the night shift at a Chrysler factory where he got fired (for his own protection) after proposing a system where one worker could replace five.

Slayton came to Cedar Rapids as drummer of a funk/jazz band in 1969 after a couple years in the Army (he was drafted). He worked at Quaker Oats before joining the Cedar Rapids schools as a custodian in 1973. After 20 years he'd became a community liaison. In all he worked at Fillmore, Taylor, Tyler, Johnson and Grant Wood elementary schools and Franklin Middle School. in 2008 he secured a $1 million federal grant for the homeless program.

With his early penchant for organization, Slayton became active in the union (state president of the Service Employees International Union in 1982) and Democratic politics (national delegate for Clinton in 1992 and Obama in 2008). He has received AFL-CIO and NAACP awards.

"When I'm confronted with something," Slayton says, "I ask, what am I doing, what do you want me to do, what should I do?"

That's his way of saying that success comes with listening to people, understanding them and not being afraid to take calculated risks.

"My whole life," he says, "I haven't always done the perfect thing, but when I'm conscious of what I'm doing, I do the right thing."

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