This commemorative month is a reflection of the political moment, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
This is Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an observance that started out as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where African descendants are paid to speak with white audiences about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. 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 Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with seven days of remembrance and recognition in the February's second week. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Netherlands.
The period has developed 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 government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the celebration is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it progresses is a good lesson in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to confront systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Little demonstrates how crucial it is to rethink Black History Month more 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 leading the polls. In the recent season we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are surging in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been taken, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the nation. A drive to erase African American heritage and legacy from the archives is in progress. One of Donald Trump's early administrative commands targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the celebration represents how little it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or stripped of political content commemorations of historical achievements, rather than challenging the realities of the current era. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. An academic expert, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just discontinue events including Black History Month completely, believing they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an period that has been ineffective.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and heritage of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – constitute an infrastructure that a lot of work has been invested in. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month seem? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already commencing), elements of its material (particularly around prominent figures of color) integrated into academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not shy away from politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What value has simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who celebrate it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the dangers that impact society if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and adaptive. It could be that an total re-identification is necessary – Black History is Now Month.
