The annual Black History observance acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a corporate feel, growing to encompass events where African descendants are remunerated to address white audiences about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, 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 transformed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the histories of colonial slavery and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A campaign to scrub the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a organized and extensive campaign to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
In this context, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the situation of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a prof at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out 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 inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month altogether, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not evade governmental matters, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the past when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the street? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and alertness to subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that face all if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
