The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures 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 commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the celebration is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub Black history and experience from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. Denise Miller, a prof at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing 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 discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an period that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a considerable labor 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 appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
