The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to erase Black history and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out 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 urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
