The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established 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 evolved from this movement 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, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw 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 elected representative feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a educator at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
