The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A effort to erase African American heritage and narrative from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
