The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a commercial tone, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
