The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are remunerated to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to remove Black history and narrative from the records is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that face all if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
