The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how important it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the records is in progress. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at a learning establishment, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an era that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an framework that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? 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), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade politics, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What use is mere awareness of the history when it ignores the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. It could be that an complete renaming is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
