The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include events where Black people are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
