The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so how do we revamp it?
We are in Black History Month in the Britain, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an event that began as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what promoting consciousness is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history 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. Currently it is marked not only in the United States and Canada in February, but also in October in the Britain, Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has transformed since its inception, giving reduced attention to the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and civil rights battles, and increasingly on influential individuals of color in government, the arts, and social movements, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in schools where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the month is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a good lesson in how co-option leads to weakening: the restructuring of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle systemic and institutional racism.
A Jarring Moment
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month more than the current time in which it falls this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the guise of the Reform organization is top in opinion ratings. In the summer we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the EU as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been taken, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A campaign to remove the history of people of color and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the prestigious establishment, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to change the national past” by depicting the United States “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Given these circumstances, the month symbolises how little it can be influential if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the realities of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is separated from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a educator at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month becomes a fleeting performance rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to alter, change and broaden initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just do away with things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an time that has failed to deliver.
But despite everything, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not merely to decline as the situation evolves (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not shy away from politics, and leaves space for citizens, particularly youth, to air their fears and experiences. What value has mere awareness of the bygone era when it fails to address the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who observe it should not be pacified with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but faced with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
