The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an event that started out as a celebration and reminder of heritage, traditions and links between international African diaspora communities, has developed a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and active solidarity. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Celebration
Initially celebrated 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 remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month evolved from this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has evolved since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the month 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 hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Hardly anything shows how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are growing in the European continent as a entirety.
In the America, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been carried, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to scrub the history of people of color and narrative from the records is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be influential if it is limited to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the realities of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its short period means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a temptation to just eliminate things like Black History Month completely, believing they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an period that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of racial movements – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an framework that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the politics moves on (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month look like? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as some institutions are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into academic syllabi. It would also be a period that does not shy away from political issues, and provides room for individuals, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to minor insults, but faced with the risks that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is in order – Black History is Now Month.
