The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the records is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
