The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. 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 confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of implicit prejudice and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.