The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since that time, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month entirely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
