The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the month is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to erase Black history and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the history when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
