The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to address white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
First commemorated 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 a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how little it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who observe 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 opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
