The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an celebration that started out as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are paid to speak with predominantly white listeners about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of demonstrating racial awareness. However, that period has concluded. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the US and Canada, 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 commemoration and observance in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this initiative and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and struggles for equality, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is commemorated is a indication of the contemporary political context. How it progresses is a good lesson in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it falls this year. In the Britain, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a elected representative feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, far-right parties are surging in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A effort to scrub Black history and experience from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the situation of the present. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is disconnected from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at a learning establishment, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, DEI programs, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if opposition to discrimination is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, critical, and responsive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Contemporary Black History Month.
