The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where African descendants are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived 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 second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has transformed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance illustrates how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
