The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The month has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the state. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than challenging the situation of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month altogether, believing 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 whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
