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 United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are remunerated to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the observance is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to erase Black history and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them 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 symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
