The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to talk to white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
