This commemorative month is a reflection of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. As time has passed, an observance that began as a festivity and recollection of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include events where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and active solidarity. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests created a surge in the industry of demonstrating racial awareness. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was established in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The period has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the way the month is celebrated is a manifestation of the contemporary political context. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reconsider Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it occurs this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the guise of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in British history. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a colossal assault against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A drive to remove the history of people of color and experience from the archives is ongoing. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than challenging the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a educator at an educational institution, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Figuring out how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as various establishments are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) incorporated into school curriculums. It would also be a era that does not avoid political issues, and leaves space for people, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
