The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it appears it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, broadening to incorporate gatherings where African descendants are remunerated to speak with white audiences about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Celebration
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since that time, giving reduced attention to the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it evolves is a valuable example in how co-option leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the form of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a legislator feels empowered to state that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Simultaneously, far-right parties are expanding in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to scrub the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also demonstrates how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. A university professor, a prof at a learning establishment, put it best when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adjust, modify and expand initiatives for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an period that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an foundation that a lot of work has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade politics, and allows opportunity for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What use is simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Organizations who observe it should not be pacified with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the threats that face all if fight against prejudice is not treated with importance. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Contemporary Black History Month.
