The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, 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 event that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove African American heritage and narrative from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
