The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
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 multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the month is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month altogether, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that face all if anti-racism is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
