The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
