The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where African descendants are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the month is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month represents how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
