The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror 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 reassessment. Throughout its history, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels empowered to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the records is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the threats that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
