This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the prevailing political atmosphere, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an celebration that started out as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has taken on a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate functions where African descendants are compensated to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade created a surge in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The surge has crested, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of commemoration and observance in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this movement 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 United Kingdom, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The period has developed since its inception, placing less emphasis on the accounts of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is commemorated is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we observed the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the UK's past. the Conservative leader, the African descendant in charge of the Tory party, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in parts of a city is a reason for concern. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the United States, a colossal assault against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A effort to scrub African American heritage and narrative from the historical documents is under way. One of the political figure's early administrative commands targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the prestigious establishment, accusing them of a “concerted and widespread effort to change the national past” by representing the nation “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the observance symbolises how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or politically neutered commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden efforts for racial equality and recognition in such times of discouragement and concern is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just discontinue things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an foundation that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month appear as? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around notable African descendants) integrated into school curriculums. It would also be a period that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it fails to address the present reality of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the non-confrontational words of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to “microaggressions”, but challenged by the risks that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
