Black History Month serves as a mirror of the prevailing political atmosphere, so what steps can we take to refresh it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a rethink. Throughout its history, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of history, culture and the connections between Black populations worldwide, has developed a business-like atmosphere, broadening to incorporate events where Black people are remunerated to talk to Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The 2020s Black Lives Matter protests generated a rise in the enterprise of displaying cultural sensitivity. However, that period has concluded. The wave has reached its height, resulting in a somewhat empty inheritance of what promoting consciousness is for.
The History of Black History Observance
Originally observed in the United States 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 multiple days of celebration and reflection in the second week of February. Black History Month developed from this initiative and was officially launched in 1970. Currently it is marked not only in the North America in winter, but also in autumn in the UK, Germany, Éire and the the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The month has transformed since those days, focusing less on the histories of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and more on prominent Black figures in government, the arts, and social movements, and extensively acknowledging the impact Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in educational institutions where Black History Month is most regularly observed, with talks and cultural events. But the way the month is celebrated is a indication of the current political situation. How it develops is a valuable example in how assimilation leads to erosion: the restructuring of Black History Month has stymied the objective of it, which is to address systemic and institutional racism.
A Disconcerting Period
Hardly anything shows how critical it is to rethink Black History Month as much as the current time in which it takes place this year. In the United Kingdom, a reemerging right-wing in the shape of the Reform party is leading the polls. In the summer we saw the biggest extreme right demonstration in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the person of color at the helm of the right-wing political group, is a staunch adversary of the racial justice movement, and we are in a situation where a member of parliament feels emboldened to declare that “not seeing any white faces” in specific city neighborhoods is a reason for concern. At the same time, extreme conservative groups are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a significant offensive against diversity initiatives and positive discrimination has been brought, frequently with success, to the top legal institutions of the state. A drive to scrub African American heritage and experience from the historical documents is in progress. One of Donald Trump's first executive orders focused on the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
In this context, the celebration illustrates how minimally it can be impactful if it is restricted to either dutiful corporate observances, or depoliticized commemorations of historical achievements, rather than confronting the situation of the contemporary world. It also demonstrates how its limited duration means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is needed. A university professor, a professor at an educational institution, put it best when she raised concerns about the fleeting superficial actions of the month. “The problem with taking a tokenistic approach”, she stated, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a transient display rather than a catalyst for change.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Establishing how to adapt, revise and extend efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a difficult task. There is a inclination to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are remnants of an era that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the complete comprehensive structure and legacy of activism for racial justice – grassroots Black Lives Matter organisations, inclusion and equity efforts, and yes, even those talks to businesses – represent an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not just to decay as the political landscape shifts (and in fact, regresses), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a contemporary active Black History Month seem? Well, first, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is distributed throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already starting to implement), sections of its curriculum (particularly around historic Black characters) included in educational programs. It would also be a time that does not shy away from governmental matters, and leaves space for people, particularly the younger generation, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has simple recognition of the history when it fails to address the present reality of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Establishments who mark it should not be reassured with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to subtle slights, but challenged by the dangers that face all if opposition to discrimination is not taken seriously. Briefly stated, Black History Month should be made up-to-date, pressing, and responsive. It could be that an entire name rebrand is required – Black History is Now Month.
