The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to remove Black history and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an infrastructure that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (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 avoid governmental matters, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
