The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input 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 method the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to remove the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
