The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an observance that began as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The surge has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of remembrance and recognition in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was officially launched in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since that time, focusing less on the accounts of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in government, the arts, and social movements, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the observance is commemorated is a indication of the political moment. How it progresses is a instructive case in how appropriation leads to erosion: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to confront embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the guise of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a legislator feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a source of worry. Meanwhile, far-right parties are expanding in Europe as a complete entity.
In the America, a colossal assault against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to erase African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives focused on the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be influential if it is limited to either obligatory business commemorations, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the celebration. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend actions for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and indeed, including corporate presentations – constitute an framework that a lot of work has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed across all seasons (as some institutions are already beginning to do), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the street? Institutions who observe it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and alertness to minor insults, but confronted with the risks that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
