The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. 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 first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how minimally it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the current situation of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
