The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that began as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a corporate feel, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are compensated to address white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was created in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since those days, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the observance is observed is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the purpose of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and experience from the archives is under way. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by representing the nation “as naturally discriminatory”.
In this context, the month represents how little it can be effective if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. An academic expert, a educator at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month entirely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an time that has not worked.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. 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? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around prominent figures of color) included in school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What use is basic knowledge of the history when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Establishments who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but faced with the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
