The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a reassessment. As time has passed, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has developed since those days, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the way the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season 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 firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A drive to remove Black history and experience from the records is in progress. One of the former president's first executive orders targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the conditions of the present. It also reveals how its short period means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is required. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is mere awareness of the history when it ignores the present reality of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
