The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that began as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups 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 tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to remove African American heritage and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
