The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to white audiences about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The wave has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Month
Originally observed 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 a week of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Holland.
The period has developed since those days, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the celebration is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows 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 guise of the Reform party is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination 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 historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration represents how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an period that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, 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 – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
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 dispersed through the year (as some institutions are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be pacified with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. It could be that an total re-identification is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
