Black History Month acts as a gauge of the current political climate, so in what ways can we modernize it?
It's Black History Month in the United Kingdom, and it seems it’s time for a re-evaluation. Over the years, an event that was initiated as a commemorative event of heritage, traditions and links between global Black communities, has developed a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where African descendants are compensated to address Caucasian groups about “unconscious bias” and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s created a surge in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. But even that moment has passed. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Month
Initially celebrated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was established in 1962 as a week dedicated to Negro history by Black scholar Carter G. Woodson with multiple days of commemoration and observance in the February's second week. Black History Month grew out of this movement and was publicly established in 1970. Today it is observed not only in the United States and Canada in the second month, but also in autumn in the Britain, Germany, Ireland and the Holland.
The month has evolved since its inception, giving reduced attention to the accounts of transatlantic enslavement and fights for racial justice, and greater focus on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the input Black people have made to influence the nation. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with discussions and heritage festivities. But the method the celebration is observed is a manifestation of the current political situation. How it progresses is a valuable example in how co-option leads to dismantling: the reshaping of Black History Month has hindered the point of it, which is to address embedded and established prejudice.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how important it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the particular moment in which it falls this year. In the UK, a resurgent right in the shape of the Reform party is top in opinion ratings. In the warmer months we witnessed the largest far-right rally in British history. a prominent political figure, the Black leader of the right-wing political group, is a strong critic of Black Lives Matter, and we are in a position where a member of parliament gains confidence to state that “not seeing any white faces” in certain urban areas is a reason for concern. Simultaneously, ultra-nationalist movements are expanding in the European continent as a whole.
In the America, a massive attack against DEI and affirmative action has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the highest courts of the country. A effort to remove African American heritage and legacy from the historical documents is under way. One of the former president's initial presidential directives targeted the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Smithsonian Institution, alleging that they of a organized and extensive campaign to alter the country's historical narrative” by representing the nation “as fundamentally prejudiced”.
Against this backdrop, the observance illustrates how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either obligatory business commemorations, or politically neutered commemorations of former accomplishments, rather than addressing the conditions of the present. It also demonstrates how its short period means that it is disconnected from the broader ongoing work that is necessary. A university professor, a professor at University of Greenwich, expressed it perfectly when she voiced worries about the temporary “tokenism” of the month. “The problem with embracing a superficial method”, she wrote, “is that it typically leads to that Black History Month evolves into a brief show rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reconsidering, Not Discarding
Figuring out how to alter, change and broaden efforts for fair treatment and appreciation in such moments of dejection and worry is a treacherous thing. There is a inclination to just eliminate observances such as Black History Month completely, thinking they are inadequate for current needs, or are remnants of an time that has not worked.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and heritage of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, inclusion and equity efforts, and indeed, including corporate presentations – represent an foundation that a considerable labor has been invested in. It is there not just to decay as the politics moves on (and in fact, declines), but to be a living breathing thing.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be more than a single focused period: something that is spread out throughout the annual calendar (as various establishments are already commencing), parts of its content (particularly around historic Black characters) included in academic syllabi. It would also be a time that does not evade governmental matters, and leaves space for individuals, particularly youth, to share their anxieties and narratives. What value has mere awareness of the history when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the public spaces? Organizations who mark it should not be comforted with the passive language of “unconscious bias” and alertness to minor insults, but challenged by the threats that affect everyone if fight against prejudice is not approached earnestly. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, pressing, and reactive. Maybe an entire name rebrand is required – Present-Day African Heritage Celebration.
