The annual Black History observance serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
We are in Black History Month in the UK, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a festivity and recollection of heritage, traditions and links between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a corporate feel, broadening to incorporate events where individuals of African heritage are paid to talk to Caucasian groups about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, producing a diluted aftermath of what increasing understanding is for.
The Origins of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the US and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by historian of African descent Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was formally inaugurated in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in the tenth month in the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, Éire and the Netherlands.
The month has evolved since its inception, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and greater focus on notable African descendants in public life, creative fields, and advocacy, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the manner the month is celebrated is a reflection of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how appropriation leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has stymied the point of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Few things illustrate how important it is to reevaluate Black History Month more than the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a revitalized conservative movement in the shape of the Reform organization is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the largest far-right rally in the UK's past. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a legislator gains confidence to say that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are expanding in Europe as a whole.
In the US, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been carried, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the supreme judicial bodies of the country. A effort to erase Black history and legacy from the archives is ongoing. One of Donald Trump's initial presidential directives targeted the museum of African American legacy, and the Smithsonian Institution, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by depicting the United States “as naturally discriminatory”.
Given these circumstances, the month illustrates how insufficiently it can be effective if it is restricted to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also shows how its short period means that it is separated from the more extensive continuous action that is required. Denise Miller, a educator at University of Greenwich, put it best when she voiced worries about the short-term symbolic gestures of the observance. “The issue with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it often means that Black History Month becomes a transient display rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Determining how to adapt, revise and extend efforts 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 vestiges of an era that has not worked.
Yet, in spite of all this, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of activism for racial justice – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – form an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, declines), but to be a dynamic entity.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month seem? To begin with, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as some institutions are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around notable African descendants) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from political issues, and allows opportunity for citizens, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves mere awareness of the past when it ignores the contemporary truth of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who observe it should not be reassured with the passive language of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but confronted with the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, critical, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is necessary – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
