The annual Black History observance is a reflection of the current political climate, so how do we revamp it?
It's Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Over the years, an celebration that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of history, culture and the connections between international African diaspora communities, has adopted a business-like atmosphere, growing to encompass events where African descendants are paid to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the business of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The surge has reached its height, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar 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 officially launched in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in the second month, but also in the tenth month in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since that time, placing less emphasis on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and widely honoring the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in schools where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is observed is a reflection of the political moment. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to weakening: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the particular moment in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform organization is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we witnessed the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of anti-racism activism, and we are in a place where a legislator feels emboldened to declare that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a cause for alarm. Simultaneously, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a complete entity.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, frequently with success, to the supreme judicial bodies of the nation. A effort to erase the history of people of color and legacy from the archives is under way. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives aimed at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be influential if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized festivities of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is disconnected from the wider consistent effort that is necessary. An academic expert, a prof at a learning establishment, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the month. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand actions for fair treatment and appreciation in such times of discouragement and concern is a challenging endeavor. There is a temptation to just do away with things like Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era 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, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has been dedicated to. 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 seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not avoid politics, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly young people, to air their fears and experiences. What use is basic knowledge of the past when it fails to address the current situation of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be reassured with the neutral terminology of hidden discrimination and alertness to “microaggressions”, but faced with the dangers that face all if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, pressing, and responsive. Perhaps an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
