The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to erase Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed through the year (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with 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 hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
