The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where Black people are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an infrastructure that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to minor insults, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
