The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include events where African descendants are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands 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 inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
