The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where Black people are compensated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since that time, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the method the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the objective of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels emboldened to state that “not seeing any white faces” in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the archives is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has basic knowledge of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
