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 feels like it’s time for a reassessment. Over the years, an event that started out as a festivity and recollection of the past, cultural identity and bonds between Black populations worldwide, has adopted a commercial tone, expanding to include gatherings where Black people are remunerated to speak with Caucasian groups about implicit prejudice and “allyship”. The demonstrations for racial justice in the 2020s generated a rise in the business of showcasing anti-racist commitment. However, that period has concluded. The tide has crested, leaving a sort of hollowed out legacy of what increasing understanding is for.
The History of Black History Observance
First commemorated in the US and Canada, Black History Month was conceived in 1962 as an observance of African American heritage by Black scholar 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. Today it is observed not only in the US and Canada in winter, but also in autumn in the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.
The observance has developed since those days, focusing less on the histories of colonial slavery and civil rights battles, and more on notable African descendants in politics, culture, and activism, and broadly celebrating the contribution Black people have made to mold society. It is in learning environments where Black History Month is most frequently marked, with talks and cultural events. But the manner the observance is observed is a indication of the current political situation. How it evolves is a instructive case in how co-option leads to dismantling: the restructuring of Black History Month has impeded the point of it, which is to confront structural and organizational discrimination.
A Troubling Time
Little demonstrates how critical it is to reconsider Black History Month as much as the specific period in which it takes place this year. In the Britain, a resurgent right in the form of the Reform political group is ahead in surveys. In the warmer months we saw the most significant ultra-conservative gathering in the history of Britain. Kemi Badenoch, the Black leader of the Conservative party, is a strong critic of the racial justice movement, and we are in a position where a elected representative gains confidence to state that the absence of Caucasian individuals in certain urban areas is a cause for alarm. At the same time, ultra-nationalist movements are surging in the European continent as a complete entity.
In the United States, a significant offensive against inclusion programs and preferential policies has been brought, repeatedly with positive outcomes, to the top legal institutions of the country. A drive to erase the history of people of color and narrative from the historical documents is ongoing. One of the political figure's initial presidential directives aimed at the museum of African American legacy, and the renowned cultural organization, claiming they of a coordinated and broad attempt to rewrite our Nation’s history” by portraying America “as naturally discriminatory”.
Against this backdrop, the observance represents how insufficiently it can be impactful if it is confined to either dutiful corporate observances, or stripped of political content celebrations of contributions in the past, rather than confronting the conditions of the contemporary world. It also reveals how its restricted time span means that it is detached from the more extensive continuous action that is needed. Denise Miller, a professor at University of Greenwich, put it best when she expressed apprehension about the temporary “tokenism” of the celebration. “The difficulty with adopting a symbolic stance”, she commented, “is that it often means that Black History Month turns into a fleeting performance rather than a driver of transformation.”
Reevaluating, Not Abandoning
Establishing how to adjust, modify and expand efforts for equal rights and acknowledgment in such periods of dismay and anxiety is a treacherous thing. There is a urge to just do away with events including Black History Month altogether, thinking they are no longer suitable, or are relics of an time that has been ineffective.
However, regardless of the situation, Black History Month, and in fact the entire extended network and legacy of campaigns for equality – community-based BLM initiatives, DEI programs, and certainly, even commercial engagements – constitute an infrastructure that a significant effort has gone into. It is there not only to deteriorate as the situation evolves (and in fact, declines), but to be a vital organism.
So what would a fresh vibrant Black History Month look like? Firstly, it would be not just one concentrated month: something that is spread out through the year (as certain organizations are already starting to implement), elements of its material (particularly around historic Black characters) included in school curriculums. It would also be a time that does not evade political issues, and provides room for people, particularly young people, to share their anxieties and narratives. What purpose serves simple recognition of the bygone era when it ignores the current situation of extreme conservative demonstrations in the urban areas? Establishments who celebrate it should not be comforted with the neutral terminology of “unconscious bias” and awareness of subtle slights, but challenged by the threats that impact society if fight against prejudice is not taken seriously. To summarize, Black History Month should be made current, urgent, and adaptive. Perhaps an complete renaming is in order – Black History is Now Month.
