The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where African descendants are remunerated to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since that time, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A drive to erase Black history and experience from the records is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how little it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
