The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are paid to address predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance 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 North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since that time, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month represents how little it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing 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. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
