The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the UK, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Black History is Now Month.
