The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are remunerated to address white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since its inception, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to erase African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
