The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input 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 manner the observance is celebrated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to erase African American heritage and experience from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and adaptive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
