This commemorative month serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness 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 an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since those days, placing less emphasis on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Meanwhile, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a entirety.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to scrub Black history and legacy from the records is ongoing. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay 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? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the street? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
