The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has transformed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is celebrated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's early administrative commands aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration symbolises how insufficiently it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not shy away from political issues, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
