The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated 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 celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and experience from the records is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the risks that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
