The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels empowered to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A drive to scrub Black history and narrative from the records is under way. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with events including Black History Month altogether, believing they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. 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 appear as? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and allows opportunity for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who celebrate it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
