This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to talk to predominantly white listeners about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since those days, focusing less on the accounts of transatlantic enslavement 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 mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is celebrated is a reflection of the political moment. How it evolves is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or politically neutered celebrations of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The difficulty with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend actions for equal rights and acknowledgment in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
