The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where Black people are paid to address Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has developed since those days, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the observance is observed is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to erase African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation 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 new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
