The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period 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 influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels empowered to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to scrub African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the month symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a temptation to just eliminate events including Black History Month entirely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but confronted with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
