This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are paid to address white audiences about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and increasingly on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform political group is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to say that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, often successfully, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A drive to erase Black history and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the former president's early administrative commands targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content festivities of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. An academic expert, a prof at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an era that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and tradition of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. It is there not merely to decline as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as some institutions are already starting to implement), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not evade political issues, and leaves space for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an total re-identification is in order – Black History is Now Month.
