The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the political moment, so how do we revamp it?
This is Black History Month in the Britain, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an celebration that began as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between global Black communities, has developed a business-like atmosphere, expanding to include events where African descendants are compensated to speak with Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests sparked an increase in the enterprise of showcasing anti-racist commitment. Yet, that phase is now over. The wave has peaked, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as “Negro History Week” by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with a week of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in October in the Britain, Deutschland, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The period has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the histories of transatlantic enslavement and civil rights battles, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most commonly celebrated, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the observance is commemorated is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it develops is a instructive case in how assimilation leads to dismantling: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the objective of it, which is to tackle embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Few things illustrate how critical it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it occurs this year. In the Britain, a reemerging right-wing in the form of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the warmer months we saw the largest far-right rally in British history. Kemi Badenoch, the African descendant in charge of the Conservative party, is a firm opponent of the racial justice movement, and we are in a place where a member of parliament gains confidence to declare that a lack of white people in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. Meanwhile, far-right parties are growing in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the America, a significant offensive against DEI and affirmative action has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to erase African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, accusing them of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how minimally it can be impactful if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its limited duration means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. A university professor, a educator at an educational institution, articulated it most accurately when she raised concerns about the short-term symbolic gestures of the celebration. “The problem with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Rethinking, But Not Jettisoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for racial equality and recognition in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just do away with events including Black History Month completely, assuming they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an era 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 certainly, even commercial engagements – represent an infrastructure that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a new dynamic Black History Month appear as? Well, first, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed across all seasons (as certain organizations are already commencing), 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 political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to air their fears and experiences. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it doesn’t reckon with the current situation of far-right rallies in the urban areas? Establishments who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.