The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are compensated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
