The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has transformed since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the US, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the present. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. An academic expert, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an framework that a considerable labor has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into educational programs. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the history when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
