The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, 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 a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact 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 celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant 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), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
