The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. 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 wave has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since those days, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the history when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
