It's Black History Month in the UK, and it feels like it’s time for a rethink. As time has passed, an observance that was initiated as a commemorative event of the past, cultural identity and bonds between international African diaspora communities, has developed a commercial tone, growing to encompass events where Black people are paid to address predominantly white listeners about hidden biases and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of demonstrating racial awareness. But even that moment has passed. The surge has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what raising awareness is for.
Originally observed in the United States and Canada, Black History Month was created in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by African American historian Carter G. Woodson with seven days of celebration and reflection in the middle of February. Black History Month grew out of this campaign and was publicly established in 1970. Now it is celebrated not only in the North America in February, but also in autumn in the Britain, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Republic of Ireland and the Holland.
The observance has developed since that time, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and struggles for equality, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the input Black people have made to shape the country. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the method the celebration is observed is a reflection of the current political situation. How it evolves is a good lesson in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to tackle structural and organizational discrimination.
Few things illustrate how crucial it is to reevaluate Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the UK's past. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Tory party, is a firm opponent of anti-racism activism, and we are in a position where a member of parliament feels empowered to state that a lack of white people in specific city neighborhoods is a source of worry. Meanwhile, extreme conservative groups are surging in the EU as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been taken, frequently with success, to the highest courts of the nation. A effort to remove Black history and experience from the records is in progress. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the institution dedicated to Black heritage, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a “concerted and widespread effort to alter the country's historical narrative” by portraying America “as inherently racist”.
Against this backdrop, the month symbolises how minimally it can be effective if it is confined to either routine organizational acknowledgments, or depoliticized commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is separated from the wider consistent effort that is required. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she raised concerns about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The issue with adopting a symbolic stance”, she wrote, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend initiatives for equal rights and acknowledgment in such moments of dejection and worry is a challenging endeavor. There is a urge to just eliminate things like Black History Month altogether, thinking they are simply not fit for purpose, or are remnants of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the whole broad system and legacy of campaigns for equality – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, diversity equity and inclusion initiatives, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has been dedicated to. 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 appear as? Firstly, it would be extended beyond a brief observance: something that is distributed through the year (as certain organizations are already beginning to do), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a era that does not evade political issues, and provides room for citizens, particularly young people, to express their concerns and stories. What value has simple recognition of the past when it fails to address the contemporary truth of ultra-nationalist gatherings in the public spaces? Institutions who observe it should not be comforted with the non-confrontational words of hidden discrimination and awareness of minor insults, but faced with the dangers that affect everyone if anti-racism is not approached earnestly. In short, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, urgent, and adaptive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
Elara is a seasoned gaming journalist with a passion for slot mechanics and player strategies.
