The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where individuals of African heritage are compensated to speak with predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The tide has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are growing in Europe as a entirety.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the highest courts of the country. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and narrative from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the month represents how minimally it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the history when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
