The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this campaign and was publicly established 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 UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has evolved since those days, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the celebration is commemorated is a manifestation of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we witnessed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the country. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's early administrative commands focused on the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized celebrations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the conditions of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is detached from the wider consistent effort that is required. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not avoid political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What value has mere awareness of the history when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
