The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are paid to address white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The month has evolved since that time, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to scrub Black history and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
