This commemorative month is a reflection of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it appears it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a celebration and reminder of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has developed a corporate feel, growing to encompass functions where individuals of African heritage are remunerated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and supportive partnership. The anti-racism rallies of the last decade generated a rise in the industry of displaying cultural sensitivity. Yet, that phase is now over. The surge has peaked, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what raising awareness is for.
The Background of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the America and its northern neighbor, 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 middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in October in the United Kingdom, Deutschland, Éire and the Holland.
The period has transformed since that time, placing less emphasis on the narratives of the slave trade across the Atlantic and fights for racial justice, and increasingly on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to shape the country. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with lectures and artistic activities. But the manner the celebration is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to erosion: the transformation of Black History Month has hindered the purpose of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
A Jarring Moment
Hardly anything shows how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month better than the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the UK, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in British history. the Conservative leader, the person of color at the helm of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a place where a legislator gains confidence to say that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a source of worry. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are growing in Europe as a whole.
In the United States, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, often successfully, to the highest courts of the state. A campaign to scrub Black history and narrative from the records is ongoing. One of the former president's first executive orders aimed at the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to change the national past” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the celebration symbolises how little it can be effective if it is limited to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content festivities of historical achievements, rather than addressing the situation of the contemporary world. It also shows how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is required. A university professor, a prof at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the observance. “The issue with embracing a superficial method”, she stated, “is that it frequently results in that Black History Month turns into a transient display rather than a agent of progress.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Determining how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a challenging endeavor. There is a inclination to just discontinue events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are relics of an era that has failed to deliver.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and tradition of activism for racial justice – local anti-racism groups, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – form an foundation that a significant effort has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is dispersed throughout the annual calendar (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Institutions who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but challenged by the risks that impact society if anti-racism is not treated with importance. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made contemporary, urgent, and reactive. Maybe an complete renaming is required – Contemporary Black History Month.
