Black History Month is dedicated to augmenting the voices of Black people and to educate the nation on issues surrounding racism. There is a particular focus on Black perspectives, allowing them to tell their own narrative without an overbearing, oppressive White lens to distort this. In light of what the late Dr Maya Angelou said, “There’s no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you”, this month’s theme is ‘Saluting our Sisters’ for beautiful Black women to render their unheard stories finally audible.
Black History Month in the UK was founded by Akyaaba Addai-Sebo in the late 1980s following an observed identity crisis amongst Black children who felt estranged and ashamed of their ethnicity. Akyaaba spoke of a specific situation in which a colleague confided in him revealing that her son told her that he wanted to be White. The month of October then became the perfect month for Black activism, as it is just after the school holidays when children are most willing to learn.
A range of efforts have been made amongst White people in recent history to support Black people in the fight for racial equality. However, this is unfortunately not as pure as it may initially appear to be. There is a tendency for White people to partake in performative activism, which is a display of activism solely for boosting one’s social image. This is often seen on social media when someone passively reposts an anti-racist thread on Twitter or Instagram just so that they are not deemed an inconsiderate, ignorant racist. Performative activism became particularly potent succeeding the callous, unjust death of George Floyd in June 2020. Especially amongst celebrities, people were reposting a black square in solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement. Unfortunately, this was a visible attempt to remove racist undertones associated with being a White person who is racially complicit, which is why social media has become the easiest way to make minimal effort. This is also seen in corporations who utilise performative activism to coin themselves as not racist. For Black people to drive their own narrative is extremely powerful and, as a White person, it should be a chance to actively listen and learn.
Throughout history, the few widely recognised stories of Black people have been told from either a White perspective or a heavily filtered White supremacist lens. The historical archives of the Transatlantic Slave Trade consider the barbarous enslavement of countless Black people as a collective. Although it is important to recognise the sheer volume of unjust deaths at the hands of White people, the archive completely disregards each Black slave as an individual with their own unique, unheard narrative. The lack of individual Black narratives has led to the complete erasure of innumerable people who lie inaudibly at the bottom of the Atlantic, leaving their oppressors to write their record. It is absolutely ludicrous that this awful history is a reality, which is why a mere repost fails to scratch the surface.
The abominable oppression of Black people is what our society is built upon today, which is why White acknowledgement of this grating fact is critical. Becoming a white activist is highly complex, so every action must undergo profound consideration. I am also not going to sit here as a White person on my high horse as if I have the authority to determine what Black people want from White people. This avenue would be counterproductive, as this would be using my dominant race to speak for the oppressed just like the rest of history has done. Again, the rectitude of activism during Black History Month is to amplify and commemorate Black people, not to post a black square on Instagram in passive “solidarity”. I believe that the conscious consideration of the dangers surrounding engagement with performative activism is crucial. To remain vigilant should remain at the forefront of your mind throughout this month and most critically, beyond just October.
There has been a large amount of scrutiny surrounding the concept of Black History Month. The cynosure of Black activism to just the month of October can be considered counterproductive by confining the celebration of Black people to just one month out of twelve, leaving the remaining eleven months to celebrate White people, essentially. Advocacy is particularly potent in October for Black voices to radiate, but this should not be the only time to educate yourself and for Black voices to be heard. These uncomfortable conversations that actively engage in issues of systemic racism should prevail throughout the year. This notion mirrors the complexity of racism and how deeply rooted in racism our society truly is.
To completely destabilise our racist institution must actively avoid acts of performative activism. Do not let an unpleasant interaction with accountability hinder you from positive engagement and growth. Be the change you are already claiming to partake in.