The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Germany, Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The observance has evolved since those days, giving reduced attention to the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping 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 crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we observed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, far-right parties are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the America, 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 Black history and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, assuming they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a lot of work has been dedicated to. 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 seem? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it fails to address the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the street? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
