The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, 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 reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include functions where Black people are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A drive to erase Black history and legacy from the records is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how little it can be influential if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
