The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where Black people are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise 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 History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a elected representative gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how little it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Perhaps an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
