The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has developed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
