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 UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the celebration is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a elected representative gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to scrub Black history and legacy from the records is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and responsive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
