The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Throughout its history, an event that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since those days, focusing less on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the method the month is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to remove African American heritage and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be influential if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but challenged by the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an complete renaming is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.