The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of colonial slavery and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is observed is a reflection of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the recent season we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the state. A effort to remove Black history and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is restricted to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized celebrations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the current era. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. Denise Miller, a professor at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, believing they are no longer suitable, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – local anti-racism groups, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an framework that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What purpose serves basic knowledge of the bygone era when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of “unconscious bias” and awareness of “microaggressions”, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. In short, Black History Month should be made contemporary, critical, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
