The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an observance that started out as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, growing to encompass gatherings where individuals of African heritage are paid to address white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the second week of February. Black History Month evolved from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and greater focus on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A campaign to erase Black history and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Given these circumstances, the observance symbolises how insufficiently it can be effective if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The difficulty with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into educational programs. It would also be a period that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves mere awareness of the history when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
