The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are paid to address white audiences about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed 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 remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has transformed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the celebration is observed is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month entirely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not avoid politics, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the history when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the threats that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
