The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the records is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives 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, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Black History is Now Month.
