This commemorative month acts as a gauge of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that began as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between global Black communities, has taken on a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade sparked an increase in the industry of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The surge has crested, producing a diluted aftermath of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the America and its northern neighbor, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the North America in winter, but also in the tenth month in the UK, Deutschland, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has developed since its inception, focusing less on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and more on influential individuals of color in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and widely honoring the input Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the observance is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has impeded the purpose of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how important it is to rethink Black History Month better than the current time in which it falls this year. In the UK, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the recent season we observed the largest far-right rally in the history of Britain. the Conservative leader, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of anti-racism activism, and we are in a situation where a elected representative feels emboldened to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A drive to remove Black history and narrative from the archives is ongoing. One of the political figure's early administrative commands focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a “concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how little it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the current era. It also reveals how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, articulated it most accurately when she voiced worries about the fleeting superficial actions of the observance. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month turns into a brief show rather than a catalyst for change.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a urge to just do away with observances such as Black History Month entirely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are vestiges of an period that has failed to deliver.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of racial movements – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an framework that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not only to deteriorate as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, deteriorates), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out across all seasons (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not avoid governmental matters, and allows opportunity for people, particularly youth, to express their concerns and stories. What use is simple recognition of the history when it ignores the contemporary truth of far-right rallies in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the passive language of implicit prejudice and sensitivity to subtle slights, but confronted with the risks that face all if opposition to discrimination is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an complete renaming is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
