The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus 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 schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we observed the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the America, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to erase African American heritage and legacy from the records is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. Denise Miller, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments 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 politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it ignores the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
