The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include events where Black people are compensated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group 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 Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to remove Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month illustrates how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
