The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, 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 rethink. As time has passed, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we witnessed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, far-right parties are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to erase Black history and legacy from the historical documents is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered festivities of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue observances such as Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. Perhaps an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
