The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, 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 February's second week. 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 winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to remove African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
