The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, expanding to include events where African descendants are remunerated to speak with predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the method the observance is observed is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to scrub African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the current era. It also shows how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
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 dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in educational programs. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it doesn’t reckon with the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
